Month: August 2015

Jesus Preps for Mission

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As we’ve been working through the story of Scripture over this past year, we now come to the New Testament. Since we last left off with prophets foretelling the coming of a Savior, the first chapters of Matthew share the miraculous birth story of the one they were foretelling: Jesus Christ. Now, we’re jumping ahead a few chapters into Jesus’ preparation for his mission.

In Matthew 3:13-4:11, we see Jesus baptized and tempted in the wilderness, and there’s a ton to learn from these passages. But three things stick out here that not only characterize Jesus’ life and ministry but should characterize ours as well.

1. Jesus gets his identity from the Father (3:17)

As Jesus emerges from being dunked the Jordan river, the Father declares His approval and His Sonship. We often read right past this as a simple truth about who Jesus is, but it’s this identity affirmed by the Father that gives Jesus the security to fight temptation, suffer persecution, undergo the torture of the cross, and ultimately die on that tree. Knowing he is God’s Son gives him the confidence to go wherever He leads, for he knows the Father will always work for the good of His children, especially His Son with whom he is well pleased.

The incredible thing is that in Jesus, we have the same identity and security. Unfortunately, the culture around us calls us to find our identity in so many other things: careers, relationships, success, etc. As a result, we experience fear, anxiety, anger, or insecurity. We need to follow our Savior and trust in the identity that he has given us through the Gospel by reminding ourselves of our adoption as children of God.

2. Jesus follows the direction of the Spirit (4:1)

Not only is finding our identity in God essential to life in this world, but Jesus also exhibits how we must be led by the Spirit. Jesus, as God himself, could have very well sought to do it all on his own, but instead, he followed the loving, gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit. And clearly, following the Spirit doesn’t mean we will always be led from one joyous, comfortable situation to the next. Jesus was led right into battle. But the Holy Spirit always leads to the good. In this case, Jesus was led to overcome temptation in the wilderness in contrast to the failure of our oldest parents: Adam and Eve.

Jesus sent us this same Spirit for our good, and it’s as we follow him into the difficult places that we will find life and victory just as Christ did. How do we do this? Primarily through the Word, prayer, and community, and it’s to the first of these that we now turn.

3. Jesus fights temptation with the Word (4:4, 7, 10)

The Holy Spirit led Jesus into battle, but it was a battle he was prepared for. Satan attacked with a variety of temptation that we all encounter in various forms throughout our lives: fame, success, power, etc. But Jesus overcame these strongest attacks even while at his weakest physically (He had just fasted 40 DAYS!!!), and he did this through the power of God’s Word.

If we hope to overcome temptation in our life and experience the fullness of abundant life that Jesus offers us right now, we must emulate him and know God’s Word so when we are faced with temptation, we have the means to overcome Satan’s lies with God’s truth.

May we be a people that emulate Christ for His fame and our good!

The Promises of Christian Community

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Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
-Psalm 133

What a cryptic Psalm! What in the world is David talking about when he uses the images of oil dripping down Aaron’s beard and the dew of Hermon?!?

While this Psalm is short and uses some obscure references, it is actually an incredibly rich Psalm about the community of the people of God. David begins by praising God for unity. Now, in Christ, we have been blessed with community in the church even richer than David could have imagined.

In the following verses, David gives two images that show us why he is so excited about this community. Each image comes with a promise and a product.

Oil of the High Priest

–The Promise – The Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit

The anointing oil poured on the high priest represented the pouring out of presence and power of the Holy Spirit upon the priest for the service he would be performing for the people of God. David is rejoicing that the community of the people of God comes with this same promise. As we live out the community that Christ has made possible, we will experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and this will lead to something specific in our lives…

–The Product – Growth in Personal Holiness

The anointing oil also set the priest apart as holy. As we experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit through community, we will be able to love one another well by pointing out sin and reminding one another of the Gospel. True community in Christ will lead to growth in holiness as a result.

Springs of Life

–The Promise – Sustainment of Life in All Circumstances

Second, David makes reference to a mountain called Hermon. The water from this mountain provide life in the midst of a normally harsh environment. Not only did life flourish on Mt. Hermon, but the water also provided life throughout the surrounding areas as the Jordan river found its source in this spring. Whether fertile valleys or harsh deserts, life could be sustained along the Jordan river due to the water source at Mt. Hermon. In the same way, David explains that community is one of the primary graces from God for sustaining us in both the good and the bad seasons.

–The Product – Cascading Life

But the product isn’t mere sustainment. Cascading from the springs at Hermon down hundreds of miles along the Jordan, life was produced and thriving. In the same way, Christian community has the power to bring life not only in the lives of those who are part of the community, but also in the lives of those who are closely connected to that community. The ripple effects of community living as Christ calls us to (loving God, loving one another, and love our neighbors) leads to significant impact for the fame of Jesus and the good of man both in our local communities and eventually throughout the world. Just imagine what God could do through your Christian community.

At the Gallery Church, small groups are the best place for us to experience the community that David talks about to the fullest degree. In order to do that, we must recognize that small groups can’t be merely a place or event we go to once per week but rather a people we commit to and love day in and day out.

As we launch into small groups for the fall semester, may we pursue growing and multiplying gospel-centered community for the fame of Jesus and our good. And may we remember that small groups aren’t a place we go to, but a people we commit to.