Readings for June 12, 2011

This Sunday I am going to be talking about some of the implications of Pentecost, and most notably what the gift of the Holy Spirit means for the chances of our success as believers.

Say you lived in a little village attached to a remote outpost of some kingdom.  And from your little village you could watch across the frontier as the enemy restlessly marched back and forth and gathered strength.  That would be unsettling.

But you would take some comfort in the fact if a wall was built around your little village.  Still, wall or no wall', the kingdom would retreat from your village if the attack was pressed.

You would take even more comfort if the wall was made tall and strong and great resources were put into its construction.

You would take even more comfort if behind those walls a strong and palatial keep was built.

You would almost start to rest easy if a large garrison was stationed within the keep.

But in the back of your mind you would know that garrisons can be evacuated and armies can retreat.  Walls and fortresses can be abandoned.

But if the king himself, left his distant capital city and moved to your village and made it his home that would change everything.  You would know that your home would be the focus of the enemy's hostility, but it would also be the focus of the kingdom's defense, enjoying the benefits of all of the kingdom's resources.  That's what it means to us that God gave us the gift of His Holy Spirit.  There are no lonely or vulnerable outposts of the faith.

It is a relief beyond measuring to think that God has taken up residence with me.

It's entirely alright to want the Holy Spirit for selfish reasons.  In fact, the only alternative to wanting him for selfish reasons is not wanting him for prideful ones.

Let's earnestly seek the assurance that comes from having the Holy Spirit and loudly celebrate that assurance when we possess it.

Call to Repentance

1 John 1:5-7  (page 1898)

Call to Worship

Psalm 66  (page 901)

OT Reading

Joel 2:28-32  (page 1416)

NT Reading

Acts 2:1-8  (page 1692)

Message

Sealed

Ephesians 1:13-15 (page 1818)

Readings for Sunday, June 5, 2011

In this passage Paul begins by talking about his ministry as a gift of God's grace, making clear how undeserving he is, being the less than the least.  But by the end of the passage he alludes to his suffering out of concern that it might be a cause of discouragement for them.  There does seem to be a gap between the glorious and gracious nature of the "gift" of Paul's calling and the painful condition he suffered on account of it.  

There was, even in that day, a natural suspicion of the virtue and legitimacy of any philosophy being promoted by a loser.  And Paul looked like a loser who talked like the pope.

Ironing out this wrinkle and talking about the nature of the ministry has some relevance for us as modern day believers.

Call to Repentance

Philippians 2:12  (page 1827)

Call to Worship

Psalm 52  (page 890)

OT Reading

Nehemiah 6:1-9  (page 757)

NT Reading

2 Corinthians 4:1-11  (page 1797)

Message

The Gift and the Glory

Ephesians 3:7-13 (page 1820)