My wife was giving birth to our first child and things didn’t go as planned. Emma got stuck and both my daughter and my wife were in trouble. It was a frightening time for all of us. But one of the things I remember most about those hours of uncertainty was seeing my wife struggle in pain and fear. I watched a strong courageous woman keep fighting while her body was breaking. At one point I just started weeping. I couldn’t control it and I didn’t want to. I adore my bride and I ache when she hurts. I wasn’t as concerned with what would happen but what was happening. In that moment I saw one I love with deep passion in great trouble and crumbling, so I wept. What I felt was natural. When you love someone, really love someone, if they ache you weep.

This is how Nehemiah must have felt as he received the news that God’s church, and His city, was in shambles. Nehemiah wept because the church was broken (Neh 1.3-4). The report had come in and it wasn’t good. What once was glorious had fallen greatly. There had been many attempts to rebuild the broken city but they weren’t successful. On top of broken walls, the city was full of broken lives and spirits. Imagine a hundred years of rubble. Day in, day out, living with the visible and constant reminders of brokenness. It was like that for God’s church during the days of Nehemiah and it is like that for many today. I have friends laboring in places where Jesus used to be adored. In fact, there are a lot of those “used to” places. Far too many. So we weep.

But even more than a broken city, Nehemiah wept for the glory of God. In Nehemiah 1.11 we see his prayer conclude with a word of delight in the fear of God’s name. Compelled by fear, reverence, and awe for God is a constant theme for Nehemiah. What is true for Nehemiah is also true for others. Those who delight to fear God’s name are moved to tears as His name is maligned, cheapened, or ignored.  Throughout the book of Nehemiah we see that the central motivation must have been the glory of God. He continually made clear that any advances in the mission were due to God’s good hand. He rallied people for the mission by grounding people in God’s promises and power. Nehemiah even stopped oppression for the reputation of God and His church among their enemies. Nehemiah cared what people thought of God and so he wanted to see the church rebuilt, renewed, and thriving. Think about it this way, how gloriously will God be displayed as He revives the UK? How ignored is Jesus in Boston where He is seemingly forgotten? Imagine the kind of praise that would resound if New York City experienced revival. And we could go on. Just think, what would happen if the church in your area came to life and everyone could perceive “that the work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (Neh 6.16).

Tears Produce Prayer

Nehemiah is passionate for God’s people and God’s glory so when his eyes are opened to the condition of the church he weeps and mourns and fasts and prays, for months. When was the last time you cried that your crucified King isn’t adored in your city? Or walked by a church that now preaches a different gospel and fell down and prayed? If you love the church and you love the glory of God you will weep. Like Nehemiah you will cry out for help. And this kind of prayer isn’t something you get to do, it’s something you have to do. When I saw Kati hurting, I hurt, because I love her. When I see the Church hurting, I hurt, because I love Her. This isn’t something you work up but something that spills out. Passion produces tears, and tears produce prayer.

It is helpful to note that Nehemiah’s prayer in chapter 1 is not helpless or hopeless sobbing. If you read the entire prayer you will see a man greatly moved but through those tears he is confident that God can do something. God invites us to mourn with the promise and hope the He hears and He can heal. He invites us to confess sin, corporate and private. He listens to the cries of His people and He cares. He invites us to weep and pray. So let’s do just that. Let your passion for the church and the glory of God produce weeping prayer.

Jesus Wept

One of the dangers in looking at the prayer life of Nehemiah is we would see him as the hero and make every effort to be like him. That isn’t all bad. God uses men and women to inspire us through their lives and model for us ways to live. Their passion and pursuit of God can help us and we should imitate others as they imitate Jesus. But that’s just it. No matter how godly someone appears, they are at best, imperfect imitations of Jesus. The goal in looking at how Nehemiah prayed isn’t to make ‘every effort’ to be like Nehemiah, but directed to the One who prayed with more passion and tears than Nehemiah could possibly imagine. As we weep on behalf of the broken church we have to see the One who first wept for us, a broken people. In fact, throughout the story of Nehemiah we aren’t first or foremost like Nehemiah. We are the shamed, busted, scared, vulnerable, rebellious, apathetic, needy, poor, stained people in need of intercession, in need of a weeping Savior. In Jesus, that’s what we have.

Jesus cried in compassion for Mary and Martha and others (John 11.35) even though He knew the situation would emerge in life and glory. Jesus grieves over the rebellious city, Jerusalem, in a touching lament for His people to be brought near (Matthew 23.37-38). And on the Cross, Jesus cries out while spilling blood. There are many churches in shame and dishonor waiting for renewal. But because Jesus is the Hero, our shameful indifference toward the church is forgiven and as we see the infinite price Jesus paid for His church and how He much loves His bride, our sometimes cold-hearts are stirred to love God’s glory and pray for His church. In other words, as we hear Jesus weep we cry out. We hurt for the church but do so with hope because of the One who can heal the church. Passion produces tears. The more you love the church the more you’ll mourn and fast and pray. Weeping produces prayer. The less people adore God and dishonor His name the more you will fall down and cry out. Because Jesus is the Hero, we can weep and pray knowing that Jesus can wipe away tears as He renews the church.

Jesus Wept, So We Cry Out

O LORD God of Heaven,

We look out at the church and we can see so much to be hopeful about. People are meeting Jesus. People are hearing the Gospel. There seem to be whole nations turning to you. And yet, there are so many others that are running from you. The church, in places like France and Germany, have experienced some great revivals, and yet now appear as if they never knew you. In the Unites States, in regions like New England, we see Universities that began with the mission to train men to preach Jesus, now turned into institutions that ignore and even hate Him. Church building after building flipped into someone’s home leaving a steeple-sized reminder that there used to be a church there. We long for the church to live. We ache over every loss of every congregation, every fracture, every split, every weakening of your people. And above our sadness over the state of your church in far too many places is our great pain that the value of your Name is not esteemed.

So, like Daniel we cry out that you would hear and forgive, and pay attention and act. We do not come in our righteousness, for we deserve open shame. True, the church has enemies but so often Her brokenness and disrepair is the product of our neglect and abuse. And so we come before you God of Heaven, our great and awesome God, and ask that you would incline your ear and hear, that you would open your eyes and see our desolations and the churches that are called by your name. We come to you not according to our merit but your mercy and ask, for your name’s sake, for the glory of your Son, for the fame of Him among all people, that you would revive, renew, and rebuild and restore. All for the glory of your beautiful name, which we delight to fear, and the good of your church, that we know Jesus will make beautiful. And it is in the good and mighty name of our weeping Savior we pray, Amen.

Great Trouble And Shame

The condition wasn’t good. The city was burnt. The walls destroyed. The worship anemic. The people discouraged. The enemy strong. These were some of the challenges Nehemiah faced as he considered leaving Susa and traveling 1,000 miles to Jerusalem to labor for revival. The first few verses of Nehemiah 1 give us a glimpse into the desperate situation of the people of God and books like Ezra and the rest of Nehemiah provide even more background as to how fierce the opposition was and how God’s church was in “great trouble and shame.”

What Can You Do?

As you look at the condition of your local church or the church in your city or region what do you see? Do you see a Spirit-filled people proclaiming with boldness the penal substitution of Jesus? Is the church passionately engaged and actively laboring for the fame of Jesus among all people? Are churches being multiplied? Are people being saved? Is there aching and weeping because God’s glory is dismissed and His value ignored? Is worship fervent and powerful? Or, is the church lukewarm, puttering along in complacency with Jesus more of a mascot than a King? In far too many places the church is in “great trouble and shame.” What can you do?

Or, perhaps you’re part of a church planting or replanting team facing stone heart resistance, and rock hard ground, laboring and toiling for the glory of Jesus among people who are not just uninterested but hostile. You have almost no resources, a handful of discouraged people, a rusted legacy, and an oppressive and strong enemy. For example, “one study suggests that Christianity will be statistically irrelevant in countries like the Netherlands & Switzerland within a few decades. In a recent British poll of people claiming to be ‘Christian’, less than half believed that Jesus rose from the dead. Germany has seen a year-on-year decline in Christianity over the last 25 years yet Islam has grown. In France mediums, faith healers and fortune-tellers earn as much money as medical doctors” (Steve Timmis). This is the context and condition many finds themselves in. So, what can you do?

The First Answer, The Last Answer

When confronted with the condition of the church in Jerusalem Nehemiah’s first response was to pray. In fact, as you read the book of Nehemiah, you realize that he never stopped praying. In 13 chapters we see at least 11 different occurrences of prayer. Nehemiah prays in private and public. He prayed by himself and with the church. He prayed at planned times and on the spot. Some of the prayers are short and some long. Nehemiah prayed for himself and others. There are prayers of praise and confession and repentance and commitment. He has prayers saturated with Scripture and others a humble collection of just a few simple words. There is no set pattern to all of Nehemiah’s prayers but the ever-present reality that he prayed.

We see from Nehemiah 1.5-6 precious truths that drove Nehemiah to pray, and can help motivate us to do the same. God is strong and for us. We pray, in part, because God is completely capable of answering. He is the “LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God.” But that’s not all. He actually wants to answer prayer as the “God who keeps covenant and steadfast love.” So often what keeps us from praying is a functional disbelief that God is God and God is good. The other thing Nehemiah understood, and far too often we don’t, is that we are weak and needy and so much less impressive than we think (you’re welcome). In fact, often our prayerlessness is arrogance. Pride is one of the greatest obstacles to prayer. We believe if we plan more, work harder, keep pushing, cast vision, make good decisions, the church will live. But what we see in Nehemiah is a man who did all those things but consistently in the atmosphere of prayer. Can that be said of you? To my shame, I know it can’t for me.

Jesus Prays The Church To Life

So where do we go from here? The great and good news for prayerless people who long for revival, is that there is only One who prayed without ceasing as He labored so the Church would live. Nehemiah is a precursor, an echo, to the One who would fast and pray and die for revival as the Savior who would crush Satan, cover sin, kill death, and promise resurrection. In places like John 17 we see Jesus intercede for the Church. We hear the strong words of this righteous man lifted on our behalf. Even on the Cross as Jesus died in our place we hear Him pray. Prayers of intercession, promise, praise, of completion. Jesus is the one who prays the church to life. Let me state that again, Jesus is THE ONE who prays the Church to life. He cares infinitely more about Her ‘trouble and shame’ then we ever do or ever will. The sure and certain hope is that even in our prayerlessness He is still interceding for us. And as Jesus prays the church to life the church will start to pray.

As we labor as church planters, Gospel leaders, blood bought sons and daughters, may we start praying like the One who never stops. As Marin Lloyd-Jones wrote, “Let us lay hold upon Him and plead with Him to vindicate His own truth and the doctrines which are so dear to our hearts, that the church may be revived and masses of people may be saved.”

Jesus taught us much about how to pray, and He never tells us to learn how to pray, and then start praying.  Instead He tells us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden” (Matthew 11:28).  That is ME!  I am weary and tired and distracted and heavy laden, and Jesus invites me to come to Him anyway!  He invites me to come to Him with my distractions, with my apathy, and HE will give me rest.  Jesus instructs us to come to Him as children.  “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16).  Those of you who are blessed to get to spend time with children know how they come to you.  They come messy.  They are often selfish, and distracted.  And they are honest …. brutally honest.  This is how we are invited to start praying!

God has been doing a work in me, and has been stirring in me, through the work of His Holy Spirit, an increasing desire to pray and to grow in prayerfulness.  And as I grow in prayer, I also desire to see our church grow in prayer.  When I look at Redeemer, I see a church filled with men and women who love to read their bibles, and are strong in theology, and I praise God for that.  It seems to me that now we are entering a season when God is calling us to immerse ourselves in prayer.  We need to again be reminded of the incredible privilege it is to communicate with and listen to and speak with our heavenly Father, and we need to be reminded of the incredible power that prayer wields.  We need to remember that entire revivals through which hundreds of thousands of people have been saved, were started by a handful of people, on their knees, crying out for God to save.

We will be posting periodic prayer requests, as well as resources for you to grow in your prayer life.  This week, I am asking all of you who are reading this, to please pray that we would become a praying church.

Father, we love and adore you.  You are entirely worthy of unceasing prayer and worship.  I repent today, that I have spent far too little time pursuing You in prayer, when You spent the life of Your son, pursuing me.  I ask you now, today, Father to send Your Holy Spirit, to fill the saints of Redeemer, to give them hearts and minds that long to speak to you, to listen to you, and to worship you, in the splendor of Your Holiness.  And I ask you today, to make us a praying church.  Amen.

We will have more info on how to apply for the 2012-2013 Gospel Leader Residency in the coming weeks if you are interested.

What Does it Mean to Live an Ordinary Life with Gospel Intentionality?

Sometimes, every day seems the same.

Boring, even.

We wake up at the same time. We go through the same morning routine before heading off to work, or school, or whatever God has placed before us in His (sometimes non-obvious) providence.

Many approach these events as just that—events. They are things we do that take up time and resources, only to require doing again the next day. But along with these events and routines, we’ve, as Christians, been given the Great Commission—a joyous call to make disciples in response to the saving work of our risen Lord and King, Jesus Christ (Matt 28:18-20).

Sometimes we think we have to free up our schedules in order to fulfill the Great Commission and make disciples. But here’s the good part—whatever routines or events God has placed you in, He’s placed you there, in part, to make disciples of Jesus for His glory. This means we get to do things that are already in our schedule, with a new intentionality—a gospel intentionality.

This means that mission –a reference to the Great Commission- is not an event.

Mission is a lifestyle.

This idea can be expressed more tangibly as “living ordinary life with Gospel intentionality”. Steve Timmis and Tim Chester describe gospel intentionality as going through ordinary life with the intentionality or purpose of a gospel ambassador.

All of us have some sort of routine, something we ordinarily do.

You will still (by God’s grace) wake up at the same time. You will probably eat breakfast. You will go to work, school, or wherever God has placed before you in His providence.

But, as an ambassador of Christ and minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5), redeemed by the blood of Christ, you get to go through your routine with the prayerful intent and desire of pointing people to Christ in hopes that they will come to a saving relationship with him. Our new gospel identity makes this mission our lifestyle.

And that means gospel-driven intentionality affects everything we do—especially the ordinary stuff.

Gospel intentionality affects the way you talk to the barista when you order coffee. Be gracious and kind with them, just as Christ has been so gracious with us, and get to know them with the hope that you can build relationships with them and get an opportunity to share the gospel with them.

Gospel intentionality affects your interactions with others around the water cooler at work. Use the times people are gossiping to speak positive truth about the victims, because even though Christ has all the “dirt” on us, He still approaches His Father in our favor.

Gospel Intentionality affects your interactions with your neighbors. Know your neighbors to the point that you can ask for their help, and they can ask for yours. When they thank you for your help give a simple, authentic, gospel reason as to why you served, in hopes that this would create an opportunity for a gospel conversation later on.

Gospel Intentionality affects how you use your meal times. Use a couple of your 21 meals each week to invite your neighbors and non-Christian friends over for food. Use this time over a meal to get to know your neighbors and non-Christian friends better, looking for opportunities to share the gospel.

Gospel Intentionality affects how you interact with your kiddos. As you raise them, you get the opportunity to help grow them in the gospel and lead them to Jesus—that’s working to fulfill the Great Commission right inside of your home!

Gospel Intentionality affects how you study for school. Instead of studying alone, you can work with other students to develop friendships and create opportunities to share the gospel.

When you go on your weekly play-date with another parent and your kids are running around playing and you get a few moments to converse with a fellow adult, pray for opportunities to speak about Jesus. By God’s grace and the help of the Spirit, you can even use the ordinary event of a play-date with gospel intentionality by asking your friend what they think about Jesus, religion, or the gospel.

When there’s a game or show on T.V. that you were planning to watch, invite people who don’t know Jesus to watch with you. (Here’s a tip: start with your neighbors!) Let them grub on your nachos and as you work to develop genuine friendships that will hopefully lead to their new life in Christ.

Every step of your routine is a chance to reflect on the gospel, and how while you were a sinner, Christ died for you.  Praise God that our salvation is not based on how well we have represented Jesus, or how well we represent Jesus in the future. Let this grace God has shown drive us to point others to him in gospel conversations through our ordinary routines, in hopes that Jesus would save them as well.

Additional Resources

30 Ways to Engage in Your Workplace

8 Ways To Engage Missionally 

The actions items that are bolded are items that we have used several times and have found to be effective. This means the items in bold come highly recommend and encouraged.

Directions for GC Leader Resource PDP

1. Review your emerging leader’s GC Leader Pre-Assessment prayerfully with your emerging leader
2. Determine what action items from the GC Leader Resource PDP best fit your emerging and their growth areas
3. List these action items (with up to 1-5 items for each sub-category—be sure to include a date for completion) on their GC Leader PDP with the assistance of your emerging leader
4. Begin using your emerging leader’s GC Leader PDP items for training

GC Leader PDP Resource Sheet

LEARNER
This Category May Include Goals Related to the Spiritual Vitality, Study, Theological Clarity

• Write a one-page description of your current typical devotional pattern (Word and prayer) and how you specifically plan to develop this area.  (Spiritual Vitality)

• Determine a Scripture memorization plan to develop love for Jesus, God’s Word, and fighting particular sin (Spiritual Vitality)

• Memorize and mediate on 2-3 biblical passages that focus on the glory of Christ (Spiritual Vitality)
• Develop and implement a prayer list/chart/journal/spreadsheet with categories for adoration, thanksgiving, praise, and intercession and room to track prayer requests and answered prayers over time (Spiritual Vitality)

• Read CJ Mahaney’s Living the Cross-Centered Life and write a reflection on how the importance of the gospel in your daily life (Gospel)

• Watch the Gospel Fluency talks and write a reflection on the centrality of the gospel (Gospel)

• Read selected chapters from Don’t Call It a Comeback and write short reflection  (Theological Development)

• Read Wayne Grudem’s Christian Beliefs and write short reflection on questions, agreement, disagreements supported by Scripture (Theological Development)

• Read select chapters from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology and write short reflection on questions, agreement, disagreements supported by Scripture (Theological Development)

• Read Sam Storms’s Chosen for Life: The Case for Divine Election and write a short reflection (Theological Development)

MISSIONARY
This Category May Include Goals Related to Personal Evangelism, Living on Mission, and Missional Engagement

• Develop 2-3 friendships with non-Christians in the next 2 months and engage in gospel conversation

• Pray regularly for salvation of 2-3 local non-Christians acquaintances and pursue them in friendship

• Read Porterbrook Module: Missional Community Life and write a short reflection

• Read Porterbrook Module: Apologetics and write a short reflection

• Set up a time to Interact with Your GC Leader on how to present the gospel and call for a response

• Co-lead a discussion or training session on Missional Engagement/Gospel Conversations in your GC

• Write a short reflection on how the gospel addresses “fear of man” and the implications for you and evangelism and share with your GC

• Read the “Ordinary Lives with Gospel Intentionality” Redeemer Blog Post and write a reflection of how you can develop this type of missional living

SERVANT
This Category May Include Goals Related to Serving in Your Neighborhood, Church Family, and Beyond

• Take over all administration tasks in the life of your GC for a month

• Organize and lead a monthly prayer night for your GC

• Brainstorm ideas with your GC Leader and organize and cast vision for a service opportunity for your GC

• Co-plan and co-lead all GC discussions with GC Leadership for the next 2 months

• Assist your GC Leaders in the GC Monthly Check-In Process

• Begin discipling 1-2 people and work with them to develop their own condensed PDPs

FAMILY
This Category May Include Goals Related to the Local Church, Gospel Community, and Marriage if Married

• Help develop and implement PDP for your spouse and family

• Identify area of Sunday service at your local church and begin serving

• Read Ephesians and write a short reflection on how the gospel impacts and unites a church community

• Read the Gospel of John and write a reflection on how Jesus made disciples and share with GC Leaders

• Read “Local Church” chapter from Don’t Call It a Comeback and write a short reflection

• Read Redeemer’s “Marks of a Healthy GC” document and select and implement one or two “suggestions for growth” with the help of your GC Leader

As the New Year approaches many of us are thinking about what 2012 will look like and what 2011 was. This time of year I like to spend some devoted time thinking about the evidences of God grace in the previous year and also prayerfully seek how God wants me to steward my time and resources this next year. I do this for myself and with my family.

I have found that for me some dedicated time to prayerfully planning the next year has been helpful in growing more in love with Jesus and more on mission for His glory. You may have your own way of doing this, and that’s great, but if you are looking for a way to reflect on 2011 and plan for 2012 here’s some of how our family does it.

Make Sure To Pray
Before you do anything humbly ask the Holy Spirit to lead you. You could ask others, like a spouse, your children, your Gospel Community, to be praying for you as well. Times of reflection and planning are much more effective when you are prayerfully dependant.

Preach The Gospel To Yourself
As you pray keep telling yourself the Gospel. Your righteousness come from what Jesus has done, not what you do or don’t do. Your status as a son or daughter is from the Gospel not your good works. Anything good you have done this year is the result of the Gospel being applied to your life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Gospel saturation like this will guard you from despair where this last year was filled with sin and disappointment and will keep you from pride as you reflect on things that went well and areas of faithfulness.

Evidences Of Grace:

• What can I celebrate this past year?
• What areas of my life has God really been working on?
• Who have I helped introduce to Jesus?
• How has my love for Jesus increased?
• What difficult times has God carried me through?

These are just a few questions but you get the idea. I want to spend time praising God by recognizing how faithful He has been to me. As I spend time reflecting on evidences of grace I am encouraged in my faith and directed to adore my King.

In addition to evidences of grace I also spend time on growth areas.

Growth Areas:

• What things are stealing affection from Jesus in my life?
• Where am I out of step with the Gospel on a regular basis? (Look for trends and patterns not one of occurrences)
• What sin(s) do I constantly struggle with?
• Where was I off mission this past year? What was distracting me?
• What areas of my life are not glorifying to Jesus? What areas of my life or attitude are not displaying that Jesus is my Treasure?

After spending time thinking through these questions, and others, I spend some more time planning out the next year using the following categories. There are many other questions that are helpful to ask in planning but hopefully this will get the ball rolling.

Learner

• Bible Reading Plan
• Bible Memorization Goals
• Prayer List
• Set Devotional Time
• Theological Focus (Thematic, Works, Authors, Etc.)
• Funding (Bible Translation, Books, Bibles, Resources For Others)

Missionary

• Evangelistic Prayer (Who, People Groups, New Plants)
• Relational Evangelism (List Of Names)
• Specific Mission: (Area, Culture, People group, etc.)
• Funding (What will I give above and beyond my local church?)

Servant

• Serving (Doing Something With My Time both Locally and Globally)
• Funding (Doing Something With My Finances both Locally and Globally)
• Praying (Locally and Globally)

Family

• Gospel Community (Specific Role, Prayer, Level Of Engagement)
• Local Church (Specific Service, Level Of Engagement)
• Funding (Sacrificial, Regular, Proportional, Worshipful, Grace Responding)

For those who really like to strategize and get specific, here are a few additional tools from GO, our leader and church multiplication initiative:

• Gospel_Leader_pre_assessment
• Gospel_Leader_PDP
• Planter_Pastor_Pre_Assessment
• Planter_Pastor_PDP

I hope that some of this will serve you as you set out to make the best use of the time as a missionary for Jesus. May God give you direction and wisdom. May the Gospel deepen your love for God this year, and train you and grow you in godliness. May this coming year be filled with many evidences of grace, a lot of growth, and a joy that is grounded in Jesus, which never fades.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen.  – Jude 24-25 NASB

These are the final verses in the history of redemption series.  This year for me has been blessed by God in so many ways, and one of those has been the opportunity to commit myself to walking through this series with those of you reading.  Last week we heard about the great restoration that will soon take place, as God restores the earth to the way He created it.  Words alone cannot describe how wonderful it will be.

The history of redemption ends with the above call from the book of Jude.  It is a call for the perseverance of the saints.  This is one of the doctrines of grace that we at Redeemer hold firmly to, that it is God who is able to keep us from stumbling, and it is God alone who makes us able to stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy.  Wayne Grudem says of this glorious doctrine, “The perseverance of the saints means that all those who are truly born again will be kept by God’s power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and that only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again” (Systematic Theology).  I hope you find great comfort in these words, and that you are able to fully trust that you will be kept by God’s power and that you will one day “stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy”.

I love lists.  I love to-do lists, grocery lists, terrorist watch-lists …. really any kind of list.  If you don’t believe me, ask my wife.  I love the clarity and cohesiveness that a good list gives to any subject.  I probably love lists more than is healthy.  But I feel that in light of the conclusion of the history of redemption, I am left to ask myself, “How now should I live?”.  We get tremendous guidance to answer this question throughout the bible, but the preceding verses in Jude give us particular insight, which I will outline in a list below:

1.  We are called to remember what we have heard.  “But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 17).

2.  We are called to build ourselves up in our faith and to pray.  “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20).

3.  We are called to remain IN His love: “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21).

4.  We are called to wait upon Him: ”waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that  leads to eternal life” (Jude 21).

5.  We are called to be missionaries, proclaiming the gospel to those who are perishing.  “And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 22-23).

6.  We are called to act mercifully toward those who are suffering: ”to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh” (Jude 23).

7.  And we are called to worship: “to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen.” (Jude 25).

Let us now continue on this journey, remembering always what the Lord has done for us , and what He is today doing for us, and what He will one day do for us, His chosen bride.  And let us “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).  We have been saved!  To God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ be glory, now and forevermore.  Amen!

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches.  I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16).

Key Emphasis of Establishment in Early Letters (Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans)

Firm Foundation in the Gospel

For Paul a church was birthed through the gospel as the power of God for salvation and a church was considered established only in so far as the church was firmly rooted in and grounded in this same glorious gospel. If a church did not sufficiently cling and hold fast to the gospel of Christ, that congregation was not yet established in Paul’s mind (Galatians 1:6; Romans 1:15; Romans 1-12; 1 Corinthians 15:1-5). The fact that almost nowhere in the epistles do we see such an intense anguish from Paul than in his astonishment at the young Galatian church’s abandonment of the gospel proves the importance of this aspect of establishment (Galatians 1:6-9; 3:1-6).

Gospel Foundation Producing Gospel Ethics and Conduct

In Paul’s early letters there is a strong call to these early churches to be firmly planted in the gospel and for the churches to begin to flourish in lives of gospel conduct. Therefore, an established church would not only see the gospel as central to salvation but as the center of their conduct in all spheres of life and obedience as evidenced in Romans 12:1-2 and 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. In Paul’s early letters, we see this call for gospel ethics address:

• sexuality (1 Cor. 5:1-12; 6:19-20; 1 Thes. 4:7)
• food (1 Cor. 8:1-13)
• authority and submission (Romans 13:1-7)
• giving (2 Cor. 8-9)
• marriage (1 Cor. 7:1-40)
• laziness (2 Thes. 3:12)
• sensuality (Romans 13:14)
• the use of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12)
• conduct in Christian community (1 Cor. 6:1-11; Romans 12:9-13)

Sound Doctrine Addressing Critical Theological Landmines

While all of Paul’s letters are theological and address theological issues specific to each audience, there seems to be more particular pressing theological issues addressed in his early letters. It seems appropriate to think of these issues as theological “landmines” that threatened to disrupt the faith of these young churches. For the Galatians, Paul addresses the crucial theological landmine of the gospel plus works of the law (Galatians 1:8). For the Corinthians and the Thessalonians, he addresses doctrinal issues concerning Christ’s return, the state of deceased believers, and the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15; 1 Thess. 4:13-5:11). In order to establish these young churches, Paul needed to correct the theological landmines that posed the greatest, immediate threats to each newly birthed church community.

Biblical Understanding of the Christian Life

Of all Paul’s early letters, the call to expect tribulation and difficulty in the Christian life is echoed most clearly to the suffering Thessalonian churches. 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4 reveals the importance of a proper understanding of the Christian life in establishing churches. Paul states:

“we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, ³ that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. ⁴ For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. ⁵ For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. ”

Thus all Paul’s planting labors would be in vain if his churches were not established in their understanding of supreme centrality of the gospel, sound doctrine, gospel ethics—and the hardships of the Christian life. If Paul had not prepped them for the trials to come and they expected only ease and pleasure in the Christian life, they would be quick to desert the faith and Paul’s work would be in vain (Romans 12:12; 12:19-21).

Key Emphasis in Establishment in Middle Letters (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon)

Maturing Foundation in the Gospel

One of the central features of Paul’s middle letters is the pattern of gospel grounding in the opening sections of each of his letters, leading to a call for responsive gospel-informed living. This is particularly seen in Colossians and Ephesians. Additionally, there is a sense of re-establishment or maturing gospel foundation for each of these congregations. The Ephesians and Colossians are given the most detailed treatise on the gospel while the Philippians are presented with the gospel’s implications for humility and unity while being warned to avoid any gospel plus law philosophies (Ephesians 1-3; 2:1-10; Philippians 3:1-11; Colossians 2:8).

For the Ephesians, there is a focus on developing a mature gospel foundation that leads the church to fully realize what it means to be one body through Christ’s work (Eph. 2:11-22; Eph. 4:1-7).

For the Colossians, there is a focused call to rest in the “circumcision of Christ” as opposed to philosophies and “empty deceit according to human tradition” (Col. 2:8; 2:11) and to see and soak in the supremacy of Christ, the head of the church.

Gospel Foundation Producing Gospel Ethics and Conduct

There is a clear turn in both Colossians and Ephesians that shifts from the truth of the gospel to the type of living that the truth of the gospel produces in a community. Even the language used to describe this gospel living—“walk”—is repeated across Paul’s letters (Eph. 4:1; Col. 1:10; 2:6). For the Philippians, Paul urges a gospel-produced unity and humility in their lives. For Philemon, Paul calls for relational unity and restoration informed by the work of Christ in the gospel. Much like his early letters, Paul expects the gospel to influence the conduct of the churches in areas of sexuality, food, family, marriage, drinking, and general conduct with in the church (Eph. 4:17-32; 5:1-21; 5: 22-33; 6:1-9; Col. 2:16-23; 3:5-17)

Helping Churches Understand their Role as the Church

A key aspect of an established church was their “one-mindedness” as a gospel community. According to Jeff Reed, Paul labored to help the churches “understand their place in the magnificent, unfolding plan of God so that as church they might grasp the significance of their calling…with one mind participating in the progress of the gospel”. A large part of this understanding is Paul’s strong emphasis on how Christians are to live and behave in and as the church. For Paul, an established church would understand how the household of God was to be ordered in its leadership and in its relationship to one another and though this ordering is primarily seen in his late letters, his middle letters also speak to the role and importance of the church as one united body partnering in gospel ministry under one Lord and Savior (Ephesians 2:14-16; 3:8-10; 4:1-6; Colossians 1:18; 2:9-10; 3:12-17; Philippians 1:5; 1:27-30).

Key Emphasis in Establishment in Late Letters (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus)

Qualified Church Leadership

The appointing of qualified elders was a pivotal aspect of Paul’s concept of establishing churches. This appointing of leaders is clearly seen in Acts 14:21-23 as a vital step in the establishment process in addition to being explicitly instructed in Titus 1:5 with the elder qualifications unpacked in Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Timothy 3:1-8. The practical necessity of this element of church establishing is revealed in Acts 20:17-38, particularly verse 28, which declares that establishing churches requires appointing qualified elders to shepherd, protect, and feed the flock of God purchased by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This key call for qualified leaders as an aspect of establishing churches is crucial given that such elders/leaders must rightly teach the Word of God, shepherd, care, protect, and nurture the church. Unqualified men or men greedy for gain in such positions would surely damage the churches even if such churches were established for years. Therefore, Paul takes great effort to ensure that his key men would do the work to see other qualified leaders appointed to lead the local churches.

Intense Gospel Focus on Developing Gospel Leaders Who Develop Others

With his impending death in view, Paul’s last letter, 2 Timothy, has a strong emphasis on urging his key leader to continue to develop leaders who develop leaders by and in light of the gospel (2 Timothy 2:1-10). The establishment of the churches at this point meant that they must be able to not only maintain but multiply and thrive beyond Paul’s lifetime and oversight. This is the clear burden of Paul’s letters to Timothy; as Paul as fought the good fight (2 Tim. 4:6-8), he urges his key leader to do the same (1 Tim 6:12) and develop men who will join the fight (2 Tim. 2:1-10) for the advancement of the gospel through the church.

Instructions for Life in the Local Church

Paul’s later letters to his key leaders are more focused on the organization and “household” rules of conduct within the local church community. In these letters, we see Paul display the manner of godly conduct for young men, older men, young women, widows, elders, end even elders and the congregation (Titus 2:1-15; 3:1-11; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 3:14-16; 1 Timothy 5:1-25). In Paul’s mind, his key leaders (who would be establishing churches after his life ended and in regions where he could not minister) needed to be able to pass on the ways of conduct in the church of God (1 Timothy 3:14-16).

Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration.  This is God’s story for humanity.  Every worldview held today SHOULD give account for each of these four chapters.  Only one worldview is the truth.

Before I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ I battled with bouts of depression, sometimes lasting days, sometimes weeks.  At that time I understood Creation, and I understood the Fall.  What I did not understand at that time was the application of Redemption and of Restoration.  I did not understand the finality of Christ’s atonement upon the cross, and so I stood condemned by my guilty conscience, knowing that I could never live a life which was not stained by sin.  Likewise, not having read my bible, I had no understanding of what awaited me after this life comes to an end.  I saw before me a world filled with mourning, crying and pain.  And I could not reconcile this with a good and loving God.  Now I can.  Now I understand.  Now I see that the greatest suffering in the history of humanity, was in fact the most merciful outpouring of God’s love for us.  Now I see the redemption bought by suffering, as I look to the cross.

Over the past 46 weeks we have read through God’s history of redemption.  We read about His perfect creation in the Garden of Eden.  We witnessed man’s rebellion against his Creator.  We heard of man repeatedly turning his back on God, and were therefore reminded of our own rebellion against God.  We then came to that great turning point in God’s plan, when He sent His beloved Son, to enter into human history, as the most vulnerable of creatures, at the most vulnerable of times.  We watched that Son march to His death, on a bloody and brutal cross, as He took upon Himself the wrath of God for our sins, for our transgressions, and for our iniquity.  We watched Him then rise from death, in a great victory over satan, as He had paid once and for all the wage for our sin.

And now, we arrive at the greatest climax to the greatest story every told.  And how glorious is the ending to this story?  Never before has there been more hope and more joy and more love expressed in the history of the universe, than there is in the restoration of the earth for God’s people, by God.  Other stories may have “happy endings”, but they are all fleeting.  The prince and the princess will still one day succumb to sickness and death, another terrorist cell will still rise up and again attempt to destroy their enemy, and another greedy villain will once again surface for James Bond to battle, as his body slowly but surely deteriorates.  Their joy is always temporary.  But our joy is ETERNAL!  The great hero of our story not only conquers, but now dwells with us, forever!  We will never again get sick, we will never again feel pain, we will never again experience the loss of a loved one.  We will never again hunger or thirst, for we will drink forever from the “spring of the water of life”.  And we will never again be separated from the love of God!

Think about the greatest moment of pain in your life so far.  Now picture God Himself, gently and lovingly wiping away every tear from your eyes.  Oh God, You are so good.

Christ Himself declared on the cross that “It is finished”.  We are reminded here again, by Him, that “It is done”.  We have nothing to fear.  We are freed from sin, and from death, and we will live forever with our Creator, our Lord, our King our Savior, and our Father.

As Oswald Chambers pronounces, in My Utmost For His Highest, “The greatest note of triumph that ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was that sounded on the Cross of Christ – “It is finished”.  That is the last word in the Redemption of man.”

“Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.”

At first glance, these words are a terrifying glimpse of our fate apart from the work of Christ.  As I have read these verses over and over again however, I have realized the incredible amount of information that we learn about God and His plan of salvation in Revelation chapter 20.

What has struck me today is the extent to which God hates sin.  God’s wrath is not a popular topic today, yet it is His wrath against sin which informs us greatly of His holiness.  We worship a holy God.  We worship a God who is “separated from sin and devoted to seeking His own honor” (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology).  This is so crucial to who God is, that we should be constantly striving towards a deeper understanding of what it means that God is holy.  When we understand what it means that God is holy, we will worship Him not in spite of, but BECAUSE OF His wrath against sin.

These verses in Revelation 20 also remind me of the incredible mercy of God.  I deserve to be thrown into that lake of fire.  You deserve to be thrown into that lake of fire.  Many theologians and pastors have described hell as “separation from God”.  Often they describe hell as such to make it less offensive.  But hell is described in the bible over and over again, as a real physical place, where those opposed to God are forever tormented.  The thought of hell as God teaches it, is terrifying to me.  It causes me to shudder.  But what should bring me to my knees in fear and trembling is the fact that this is where I deserve to suffer for eternity.  I have stood opposed to God.  I have offended Him.  I have profaned His holy name.  When I am asked by skeptics why anyone deserves to go to hell, I ask them, why does anyone deserve to go to heaven?  The truthful answer to this is, no one.  “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).  By GRACE I have been saved from eternity in the lake of fire.  By grace YOU have been saved.  It is not because of our good works, or our obedience to the law, or by anything but this, GRACE!  Our God has had mercy on me, a sinful and wretched man.  Praise be to God for His immeasurable mercy.

And finally, God knows those whom He has chosen.  Their names are written in a great and awesome book.  And we who have surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ, can now have confidence that our names are written in that book.  How great is our God?

There are many people alive today, whose names are also written in that book of life, and who desperately need to hear the good news, that “Christ was slain, and purchased for God with His blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation”. (Revelation 5:9 NASB).  I have heard it said that we should “respect” people of other faiths, and therefore should not preach “our faith” to them.  However, if you saw someone standing in the middle of the road with a bus heading straight towards them, what would be your response?  Would you “respect” their decision to stand there, and allow them to be killed?  Would you not yell at them to move?  If they were deaf, would you not even push them out of the way?  When we understand what it means to be thrown into the lake of fire, the most respectful and loving thing we could ever do would be to share the gospel with that person.  This should motivate us to live as missionaries, wherever and whenever God has placed us.  “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:15).

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:14-15).