REFLECTION

#1 · June 8, 2009, 2:22 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on June 8, 2009, 2:22 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
REFLECTION

June 7, 2009

TEXT: Galatians 6:1-10

As a student training for pastoral ministry, one of the courses I needed to complete was an internship program called Clinical Pastoral Education, or CPE. This internship is most often conducted in a hospital chaplaincy setting. In fact, the chaplain department in some of our local hospitals conducts CPE training. Students in this training are exposed to a wide variety of ministry needs and challenges. After all, a lot of critical needs arise in hospitals with patients and their families. This environment can be one in which people come face to face with some serious issues and take stock of their lives and even their relationship with God.

The role of CPE instruction becomes at least twofold. First, the chaplain intern provides ministry to patients, families, and hospital staff. A chaplain can be that person anointed by God in any given moment to help another person make that needed connection and relationship with God. Second, the CPE program is set up so that the student must reflect upon and give account to supervisors and peers for his or her actions. CPE students are to personally reflect upon how they conduct themselves in the many contacts they have with patients, family, and staff and to consider how they can improve their delivery of ministry. As a CPE student, I was challenged to think how I could better become a help and not a hindrance in the salvation and ministry process with another person. Not only is the student subject to self reflection; he or she is subject to feedback from the CPE supervisors and peers. One can see how this can be both a humbling and a growing experience.

As I have gained experience in ministry, I have come to recognize that the practice of this kind of reflection should not be limited to CPE curriculum and limited settings such as hospitals. The plain truth is that each and every one of us who confesses Christ as Savior also accepts him as Lord. The truth of the matter is that a lord is an authority who is to be obeyed. Jesus is recorded in John 15:9-10 saying, As my Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Fathers commands and remain in his love. Our allegiance is to our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our obedience is to him. Our instructions for life come from him, not from others. We compare our behavior to his standards, not those of anyone else.

Jesus tells a story about this in the account of the Pharisee and the tax collector who went to the temple to pray. This is found in Luke 18:9-14. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: God, I thank you that I am not like all other men robbers, evildoers, adulterers or even like this tax collector. By comparing himself to other people of his own choosing, the Pharisee made himself out to look pretty good. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. The tax collector compared himself to the only One who is the very source of all righteousness and, not surprisingly, found himself very much lacking. Jesus summed up this story saying, I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts he will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. This is reflection.

As we can readily see from the Galatians text I read earlier, Pauls mind is naturally the same as the Lords on this matter. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. (Galatians 6:3-5) Through messages like this, the Bible tells us that the mirror we are to look into for spiritual reflection is the one held up to us by God. It is His standards of righteousness and holiness to which we are to compare our actions, and it is according to His instructions that we are to live.

Over the past few months, there has been an increase in talk about evangelism and outreach in our communities. In fact, there is more discussion going on about this in our other community churches as well. This is clearly a good thing as we see Gods hand His will and purpose in a world that is becoming crazier and more obsessed with denying the truth of the life giving Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we undertake this step of obedience, though, we also need to do a bit of what I said earlier that CPE students must do: reflect. One of the anticipated results of evangelism and outreach is church growth. At the very least, I would expect that someone beginning to awaken to Gods call upon their life will want to attend a church service out of curiosity and interest in learning more about what he or she has heard. As a church, and as individuals in that church, we need to do some reflection again, by looking into the mirror that God holds up for us as we anticipate Gods work in our fellowship. Specifically, do our actions and our speech reflect our allegiance and obedience to the Christ who suffered for our sins? Do we help or hinder others as they go through their own struggles to accept salvation and grow into spiritual maturity? Are we helping to ease others burdens or to increase those burdens?

Having been here for more than a decade now, I have made several observations about these and other issues. I also know that, like every other believer, I am imperfect and am part of any problems as well as any solutions. The membership of First Baptist Church has done and still does many things in obedience to Gods will for us. We are active in many areas of ministry. Not everything has worked out exactly as anticipated over the years, but that is not unusual for any venture. The problem is not over whether some particular ministry works out or not. The problem is whether we are ready for church growth. Are we ready to accept people seeking to find Gods will for their lives? The answer has not always been yes.

One person I know lives in another area now, has accepted Jesus as Savior, and is making progress spiritually. This is good news, of course, but while living here and visiting First Baptist occasionally, this person was not invited to participate in some of our active ministries and fellowships that would have been appropriate. While living in this area, this person did not make the best lifestyle decisions, but there was an openness to seek the Lord. It didnt happen here. It did happen in a church where this person was received with joyful acceptance.

James reminds Christians everywhere in chapter 3 verses 9-10 that we are to be aware of our speech as well as our actions. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in Gods likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Whether intentional or not, even our speech can be hurtful. One of the difficult lessons I learned as a CPE student is that since even innocent comments or actions can be taken the wrong way, I am the one responsible for recognizing what is appropriate and not appropriate and making necessary changes. You may remember that, with regard to combating terrorism, former President Bush told America that the terrorists only have to be right once, but we have to be right all the time. Well, thats sort of true for us, too. When someone comes to church to test out what he or she has been told about God and Gods people, that person has to find only one fault while we have to try to be without fault all the time.

You and I both know that even the best Christian is not perfect. Not even the disciples who walked personally with Jesus try to convince us of that. But we do know when we are striving to work as a team to honor Christ and when we are not. Anyone seeking to commit his or her life to Christ can make that distinction, too. When we look into the mirror that God is holding in front of us, we must recognize that Christians are called to be humble. Paul emphasizes this in Ephesians 4:1-2, writing, As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing one another in love. Jesus welcomes everyone into his kingdom who willingly obeys him.

Instead of being an oasis where we can find relief from the pressures and hurts of a world that rejects the living, loving God, our church has sometimes helped inflict these types of injuries on others. I say this not to embarrass or to anger anyone. I am not putting anyone down, and I am especially not saying something like, God, I thank you that I am not like all other men. The plumb line the standard that I use this morning is Gods. As I have already said, it is Gods mirror of righteousness and holiness into which we must look. And God gives us His standard because He loves and cares about us, not to put us down so that we feel miserable. God instructs us so that we can be restored into the glory of His presence.

Galatians 6 begins, Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. Recognize how much spiritual depth there is in this one sentence. If someone is caught in a sin, talk bad about him behind his back. No. If someone is caught in a sin, turn backs on him and shun him. No. If someone is caught in a sin, kick him out of the church. No. If God had wanted those things to happen, He would not have sent His only begotten Son to suffer in our place and die for our sins. God wants the sinner restored. Gently. Paul uses this particular Greek word to impress upon his readers that faith in Christ enables the Christian to correct the erring brother without arrogance, impatience, or anger. (The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. VI, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1968, p. 650) God has given us His standard so that we can use it to judge ourselves and so that we can be restored into fellowship with Him.

This is what we need to do. We need to look into Gods mirror and reflect on our speech and actions every day. We need to ask both ourselves and other Christians to whom we are accountable where we need to make necessary improvements and what we need to do to strengthen our relationship with God through Christ. We need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to help, not hinder, another persons relationship with the Lord.

At no time in my life have Pauls words of Galatians 6:10 rung truer. We are seeing an age develop in which ungodly men and women want nothing more than to see Christs Church and the Christian faith dismantled and destroyed. We are seeing an age develop in which the message of truth, love, and salvation is needed more than ever. We must stop helping the ungodly succeed at their mission, and we must seek to be the willing instruments that God uses to fulfill His mission and build His kingdom. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Let this be our willing reflection.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

REFLECTION

June 7, 2009

TEXT: Galatians 6:1-10

As a student training for pastoral ministry, one of the courses I needed to complete was an internship program called Clinical Pastoral Education, or CPE. This internship is most often conducted in a hospital chaplaincy setting. In fact, the chaplain department in some of our local hospitals conducts CPE training. Students in this training are exposed to a wide variety of ministry needs and challenges. After all, a lot of critical needs arise in hospitals with patients and their families. This environment can be one in which people come face to face with some serious issues and take stock of their lives and even their relationship with God.

The role of CPE instruction becomes at least twofold. First, the chaplain intern provides ministry to patients, families, and hospital staff. A chaplain can be that person anointed by God in any given moment to help another person make that needed connection and relationship with God. Second, the CPE program is set up so that the student must reflect upon and give account to supervisors and peers for his or her actions. CPE students are to personally reflect upon how they conduct themselves in the many contacts they have with patients, family, and staff and to consider how they can improve their delivery of ministry. As a CPE student, I was challenged to think how I could better become a help and not a hindrance in the salvation and ministry process with another person. Not only is the student subject to self reflection; he or she is subject to feedback from the CPE supervisors and peers. One can see how this can be both a humbling and a growing experience.

As I have gained experience in ministry, I have come to recognize that the practice of this kind of reflection should not be limited to CPE curriculum and limited settings such as hospitals. The plain truth is that each and every one of us who confesses Christ as Savior also accepts him as Lord. The truth of the matter is that a lord is an authority who is to be obeyed. Jesus is recorded in John 15:9-10 saying, As my Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Fathers commands and remain in his love. Our allegiance is to our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our obedience is to him. Our instructions for life come from him, not from others. We compare our behavior to his standards, not those of anyone else.

Jesus tells a story about this in the account of the Pharisee and the tax collector who went to the temple to pray. This is found in Luke 18:9-14. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: God, I thank you that I am not like all other men robbers, evildoers, adulterers or even like this tax collector. By comparing himself to other people of his own choosing, the Pharisee made himself out to look pretty good. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. The tax collector compared himself to the only One who is the very source of all righteousness and, not surprisingly, found himself very much lacking. Jesus summed up this story saying, I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts he will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. This is reflection.

As we can readily see from the Galatians text I read earlier, Pauls mind is naturally the same as the Lords on this matter. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. (Galatians 6:3-5) Through messages like this, the Bible tells us that the mirror we are to look into for spiritual reflection is the one held up to us by God. It is His standards of righteousness and holiness to which we are to compare our actions, and it is according to His instructions that we are to live.

Over the past few months, there has been an increase in talk about evangelism and outreach in our communities. In fact, there is more discussion going on about this in our other community churches as well. This is clearly a good thing as we see Gods hand His will and purpose in a world that is becoming crazier and more obsessed with denying the truth of the life giving Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we undertake this step of obedience, though, we also need to do a bit of what I said earlier that CPE students must do: reflect. One of the anticipated results of evangelism and outreach is church growth. At the very least, I would expect that someone beginning to awaken to Gods call upon their life will want to attend a church service out of curiosity and interest in learning more about what he or she has heard. As a church, and as individuals in that church, we need to do some reflection again, by looking into the mirror that God holds up for us as we anticipate Gods work in our fellowship. Specifically, do our actions and our speech reflect our allegiance and obedience to the Christ who suffered for our sins? Do we help or hinder others as they go through their own struggles to accept salvation and grow into spiritual maturity? Are we helping to ease others burdens or to increase those burdens?

Having been here for more than a decade now, I have made several observations about these and other issues. I also know that, like every other believer, I am imperfect and am part of any problems as well as any solutions. The membership of First Baptist Church has done and still does many things in obedience to Gods will for us. We are active in many areas of ministry. Not everything has worked out exactly as anticipated over the years, but that is not unusual for any venture. The problem is not over whether some particular ministry works out or not. The problem is whether we are ready for church growth. Are we ready to accept people seeking to find Gods will for their lives? The answer has not always been yes.

One person I know lives in another area now, has accepted Jesus as Savior, and is making progress spiritually. This is good news, of course, but while living here and visiting First Baptist occasionally, this person was not invited to participate in some of our active ministries and fellowships that would have been appropriate. While living in this area, this person did not make the best lifestyle decisions, but there was an openness to seek the Lord. It didnt happen here. It did happen in a church where this person was received with joyful acceptance.

James reminds Christians everywhere in chapter 3 verses 9-10 that we are to be aware of our speech as well as our actions. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in Gods likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Whether intentional or not, even our speech can be hurtful. One of the difficult lessons I learned as a CPE student is that since even innocent comments or actions can be taken the wrong way, I am the one responsible for recognizing what is appropriate and not appropriate and making necessary changes. You may remember that, with regard to combating terrorism, former President Bush told America that the terrorists only have to be right once, but we have to be right all the time. Well, thats sort of true for us, too. When someone comes to church to test out what he or she has been told about God and Gods people, that person has to find only one fault while we have to try to be without fault all the time.

You and I both know that even the best Christian is not perfect. Not even the disciples who walked personally with Jesus try to convince us of that. But we do know when we are striving to work as a team to honor Christ and when we are not. Anyone seeking to commit his or her life to Christ can make that distinction, too. When we look into the mirror that God is holding in front of us, we must recognize that Christians are called to be humble. Paul emphasizes this in Ephesians 4:1-2, writing, As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing one another in love. Jesus welcomes everyone into his kingdom who willingly obeys him.

Instead of being an oasis where we can find relief from the pressures and hurts of a world that rejects the living, loving God, our church has sometimes helped inflict these types of injuries on others. I say this not to embarrass or to anger anyone. I am not putting anyone down, and I am especially not saying something like, God, I thank you that I am not like all other men. The plumb line the standard that I use this morning is Gods. As I have already said, it is Gods mirror of righteousness and holiness into which we must look. And God gives us His standard because He loves and cares about us, not to put us down so that we feel miserable. God instructs us so that we can be restored into the glory of His presence.

Galatians 6 begins, Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. Recognize how much spiritual depth there is in this one sentence. If someone is caught in a sin, talk bad about him behind his back. No. If someone is caught in a sin, turn backs on him and shun him. No. If someone is caught in a sin, kick him out of the church. No. If God had wanted those things to happen, He would not have sent His only begotten Son to suffer in our place and die for our sins. God wants the sinner restored. Gently. Paul uses this particular Greek word to impress upon his readers that faith in Christ enables the Christian to correct the erring brother without arrogance, impatience, or anger. (The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. VI, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1968, p. 650) God has given us His standard so that we can use it to judge ourselves and so that we can be restored into fellowship with Him.

This is what we need to do. We need to look into Gods mirror and reflect on our speech and actions every day. We need to ask both ourselves and other Christians to whom we are accountable where we need to make necessary improvements and what we need to do to strengthen our relationship with God through Christ. We need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to help, not hinder, another persons relationship with the Lord.

At no time in my life have Pauls words of Galatians 6:10 rung truer. We are seeing an age develop in which ungodly men and women want nothing more than to see Christs Church and the Christian faith dismantled and destroyed. We are seeing an age develop in which the message of truth, love, and salvation is needed more than ever. We must stop helping the ungodly succeed at their mission, and we must seek to be the willing instruments that God uses to fulfill His mission and build His kingdom. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Let this be our willing reflection.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org