More on Being God's Masterpiece

YOU are God's Original Masterpiece. On January 1 we explored Ephesians 2:10 which declares us to be God's "workmanship". The word means masterpiece, a unique composition. We learned that God does this work in us, but we must cooperate, and that it is a long journey. We are spending the month of January learning ways we can cooperate with God in this process of transformation, so that we will become His perfect Masterpiece. 

The message on January 8 dealt with "Transformation Through the Word" using several different scriptures, but primarily focused on Hebrews 4:12. The Word of God is the primary tool He uses in the work of transformation. As we saw in the video from January 1, God cuts away everything that does not look like Jesus. This verse tells us that God's Word cuts through and reveals the thoughts and intents of our hearts. It shows us what is not like God, and how we are to remove those things. It is spiritual surgery, and any surgery is painful. But the results are well worth the pain of the process!

Are you joining us on the journey to become God's Masterpiece? Here are the Bible challenges we are taking:

• Read the Bible every day. Yearly Bible reading plans are available at church, or there are literally thousands available free on the internet. I personally use one through www.youversion.com. It is free, and sends reminders to me daily in my email, and I can even get reminders and read it on my smart phone with a YouVersion app. Check it out.
• Use Sunday School material to supplement your daily Bible reading. The free material we provide is an excellent resource to guide you, and provide additional understanding as you read. If you don't take one home, start this week.
• Memorize Scripture. Memorizing Scripture allows you to carry more tools in your toolbox for the Holy Spirit to use as He seeks to help you each day. We have begun memorizing a verse or passage every month. For January, let's seek to memorize the key verse for the Transformation message series:

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)

Remember to read with a pencil and paper nearby. Make notes about what you read, do not understand, or when God speaks to you. Seek to understand what you read. And when you understand it, ask yourself, "so what?" What do you need to do with what you have read? How do you need to respond? How will you begin and when? with whom do you need to share what you have learned? 

Set aside time each day and get to know God's Word. Before you know it, you will experience transformation!

BSFL Sunday School Commentary for the week of October 4, 2009

The Warrior Hero      Mark 11

The shoes you pack say alot about the trip you're taking. How you ever thought about how many of the metaphors for discipleship involve your feet? We "follow" Christ. We describe our Christian "walk". The new unit of study for October is entitled "Discipleship: The Epic Adventure". What shoes did you pack for the journey? When it comes to discipleship there are mountains to climb, battles to fight, and enemies to face. When it comes to following Jesus you will need more than flip-flops and bunny slippers!

This week's lesson from Mark 11 is called "The Warrior Hero". Believers need to understand that an active life of faith leads to victorious Christian living that pleases God, is pleasing to us, and is useful to Christ's Kingdom. We battle daily with temptation, doubt, crises, relational differences, and a host of other things that can turn our focus away from Kingdom living. In Mark 11:12-14, 20-21 Jesus enacted a parable to drive home the importance of a fruitful Christian life. The parable is interrupted as Mark records the account of Jesus cleansing the Temple. Mark often wraps one story around another. The outer story helps the reader to understand the importance of the central story. Just as the fig tree in 11:12-14 was bearing no fruit, so the worship of the Jews also bore no fruit (11:15-19).

What would it take to produce more fruit in your life? Fruit is symbolic of evidence. Apples on an apple tree are evidence that the tree you are observing is an apple tree. "A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thorn bushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush. A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart." Luke 6:43-45 (HCSB)

So how is the level of evidence in your walk with Jesus? As we walk with Him and He transforms us into His likeness, we will exhibit evidence (fruit) of His character. Galatians 5:22-23 lists what is called the 'Fruit of the Spirit'; evidence of the Holy Spirit's transformational work in our lives. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23 (HCSB) Are you fighting fruitlessness and striving to bear fruit? How can we do that?

• Pruning - giving up something that stands in your way of a real, personal relationship with Christ.
• Watering - spending time in the Word to receive Living Water.
• Transplanting - moving out of a bad situation or relationship that is hindering you from placing your faith in God.
• Fertilizing - growing through personal disciplines such as stewardship, service, study, fellowship, prayer, and worship.

In the middle story of Mark 11:15-19, inattention to the worship of God drew Jesus' righteous wrath. From Mark's description of the Temple complex, it must have looked more like a flea market than a sacred place of prayer and worship! No wonder the Jews' worship and sacrifices to God were unacceptable. They allowed other things to crowd in and distract them from the true purpose of knowing and worshipping God. Temple worship had become big business. If you wanted to get to the Temple to worship, you had to fight your way through all the merchants that were set up in the courtyard out front, as well as everyone who was using the courtyard as a shortcut to get where they were going. To many, the hassle may not have been worth the effort.

What's distracting you from your walk with Christ? Escape from the day's busy routine? The pursuit of pleasure? Climbing the corporate ladder? A troublesome relationship? Too busy at church? Busyness is not fruitfulness. We must ruthlessly combat anything that pulls our focus from Jesus and His mission. In Mark 11:22-25 Jesus taught His disciples about the power of prayer to combat distractions and accomplish fruitfulness. A settled trust in God and His ability to solve our troubles and aid us in our struggle is essential to achieving spiritual victories. Many try to analyze away the power of Jesus' promise here. Although He used hyperbole in His statement concerning mountains to represent life's problems, we should never spiritualize away the power of God to answer our prayers and the effect of praying in faith.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) said, "A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer." I would venture to add that spiritual heroes stay at the task day after day after day. Through faith and by the power of God that is available to us we battle against unfruitfulness and worldly distractions to grow in our relationship with Christ and our usefulness to His Kingdom. Do you consider His best for you something worth fighting for?

BSFL Sunday School Commentary for the week of September 27, 2009

The Results of Knowing Jesus        Mark 8,9,10

How long does it take to grow a disciple? John Mark, author of the gospel that bears his name, is known for his frequent use of the word "immediately" (some translations use 'straightway'). However, you won't find it anywhere near a teaching on discipleship. Disciples are not born (they ARE born again!), they are made. Discipleship is a deliberate process of following Jesus and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us into His likeness. It is no coincidence that 'discipline' and 'disciple' are similar words. One concept is inseparably linked to the other. Discipleship requires lifelong discipline.

Jesus did not paint an easy picture for those who would be His disciples. He set the bar high, and we in the modern church have no authority to lower it. Although this lesson includes teaching passages from Mark 8,9, & 10, Jesus' statement in Mark 8:34 contains the complete recipe of discipleship. The illustration of the cross is an all-encompassing image of self-denial, service, and suffering. Jesus explicitly said that to be His follower was no picnic. How much of that is hidden in modern-day evangelism and church-growth philosophies?

Jesus taught in Mark 8:34-38 that self-denial is the only path to a life worth living. How else do we "find our life" but through spending it for the cause of Christ? We do not find it in wealth, possessions, escapism, physical gratification, popularity, business, worldly success, family, or even church. (Let's face it; we do not deny ourselves much at church.) Jesus modeled self-denial as no one else possibly could. He denied Himself many of the prerogatives, and even the very presence of, Deity. The passage in Philippians 2:6-11 is the landmark description of just how low Jesus stooped to reach our level of living. But in stooping to our physical level, He boosted us to His spiritual level, as evidenced in the latter portion of the Philippians passage mentioned earlier. In like manner, our life of self-denial in following Jesus is the pathway by which we find ultimate fulfillment and satisfaction in this life, and in the life to come. We "find our life" (Mark 8:35).

In Mark 9:33-37 Jesus sets a child in the midst of His disciples and challenges their willingness to serve. In the culture of that day children held no status and few rights, viewed almost as property by their families. Jesus declared that the greatest among us is the one ready to serve the least among us. Again, Mark 8:34 challenges us to serve unselfishly like Jesus by following Him in a cross-bearing manner of living. What is cross-bearing? It is sacrificial service to all, even the least in society's hierarchy.

In Mark 10:32-34 Jesus warns His disciples for the third time about His impending arrest, abuse, and crucifixion. Jesus was obviously fixed on this series of events that lay just ahead. Although not relishing the prospect of suffering, He was able to accept it as the will of the Father. Again, this is brought out in Mark 8:34. Taking up the cross means a willingness to accept suffering for the cause of Christ.

I continually wrestle with these burdensome concepts. I find that I deny myself little, like being served, and avoid suffering at all costs far more often than otherwise. I have also discovered that when I do seek to follow Jesus with a Mark 8:34 devotion I realize more peace, fulfillment, passion, joy, and contentment than ever before. The battle rages between my stubborn flesh that desires to be happy, and the Spirit within, Who desires that I be holy. Momentary happiness from self-gratification in between struggles, or lasting contentment and peace that prevails through all of my circumstances. It seems this would be an easy choice. At times it is; other times it represents the greatest of struggles. But one of the supreme results of knowing Jesus is experiencing progress in the struggle. Over time, I see myself choosing to follow Jesus more and myself less. I relish more victory over self; I enjoy greater peace; I begin to understand settled contentment; I see more Kingdom usefulness. And in these things I "find my life".