What is the church? And what can we liken it to in Genesis 22?
" And
he said, “Take your son, your only child, Isaac, whom you love, and go
to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of
the mountains where[a] I will tell you.” And
Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. And he
took two of his servants with him, and Isaac his son. And he chopped
wood for a burnt offering. And he got up and went to the place which God
had told him."
We touched on it yesterday. But look, what do you see? When God told Abe he was going to destroy a wicked city or four, Abe had the temerity to argue with God. To talk him down, to bargain for the lives of people he did not know. When God told Abe he was going to be a father some day, Abe asked how it could be and even took matters into his own hands with one of his servants. But here, Abe has matured enough to know that this is a time to just listen and do. He knows this God. He has been through deep waters with Him. He loves and trusts and fears Him.
"And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, because those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he should be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined, these he also called, and those whom he called, these he also justified, and those whom he justified, these he also glorified."
When we do these things, when the church hears and obeys, God always moves them into the best position to see the good He has planned, to conform us not to the pattern of this world, but Jesus Christ, the visible Glory of God.
"Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”" John 11
Showing posts with label purpose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label purpose. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Saturday, March 11, 2017
What is the church? Thankful.
What is the church? And what can we liken it to in Genesis 8?
"So Noah went out, with his sons and his wife, and the wives of his sons with him. Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, and everything that moves upon the earth, according to its families, went out from the ark. And Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and he took from all the clean animals and from all the clean birds, and offered burnt offerings on the altar."
The church is saved and not just it but as we said before, God delights to have His church participate with him in His saving grace. To extend it even to the beasts and birds. The church is God's preferred agency upon the earth. Here we see the grace He gives to his people purposely extended to creation itself. But that is not my main point today.
The first thing we see Noah do with his feet once again upon dry dirt is to gather stones together and make an altar. To worship the God who saved him. To respond to the God who called him. To THANK the God who loved him despite the fact that "the inclination of the heart of humankind is evil from his youth." God's words, not mine. And this fledgling church of Noah's will prove it before they we are done with them. But that is another day. Today they show us that the church are those whom despite their natural bent, God has chosen, made his agents, saved and now...
are purposefully and worshipfully Thankful.
"And it happened that while traveling toward Jerusalem, he was passing through the region between Samaria and Galilee. And as he was entering into a certain village, ten men met him—lepers, who stood at a distance. And they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” And when he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And it happened that as they were going, they were cleansed. But one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. And he fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were not ten cleansed? And where are the nine? Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Get up and go your way. Your faith has saved you.”" Luke 17
"So Noah went out, with his sons and his wife, and the wives of his sons with him. Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, and everything that moves upon the earth, according to its families, went out from the ark. And Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and he took from all the clean animals and from all the clean birds, and offered burnt offerings on the altar."
The church is saved and not just it but as we said before, God delights to have His church participate with him in His saving grace. To extend it even to the beasts and birds. The church is God's preferred agency upon the earth. Here we see the grace He gives to his people purposely extended to creation itself. But that is not my main point today.
The first thing we see Noah do with his feet once again upon dry dirt is to gather stones together and make an altar. To worship the God who saved him. To respond to the God who called him. To THANK the God who loved him despite the fact that "the inclination of the heart of humankind is evil from his youth." God's words, not mine. And this fledgling church of Noah's will prove it before they we are done with them. But that is another day. Today they show us that the church are those whom despite their natural bent, God has chosen, made his agents, saved and now...
are purposefully and worshipfully Thankful.
"And it happened that while traveling toward Jerusalem, he was passing through the region between Samaria and Galilee. And as he was entering into a certain village, ten men met him—lepers, who stood at a distance. And they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” And when he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And it happened that as they were going, they were cleansed. But one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. And he fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were not ten cleansed? And where are the nine? Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Get up and go your way. Your faith has saved you.”" Luke 17
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