Real Love Is a Life Laid Down

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1Jn 3:16 NIV).

Back in 1984, the guys from Foreigner were searching for an answer. In a classic power ballad, they sang…

I wanna know what love is

I want you to show me

I wanna feel what love is

I know you can show me

If you’re my age, you’re singing along at the top of your lungs and waving your hands back in forth. 

Foreigner’s Mick Jones wrote this number one tune that rocketed to the top of just about every chart around the world. In an interview for Classic Rock Magazine about the song’s success, Jones said, “I don’t know where it came from. I consider it a gift that was sent through me. I think there was something bigger than me behind it. I’d say it was probably written entirely by a higher force.”

There certainly was Someone bigger behind it all. WAY bigger! The sad thing is that Jones didn’t realize that a certain Someone DID show them. Two thousand years before Foreigner recorded one of their greatest songs, Jesus demonstrated pure love. His best friend John says it this way. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (v16). 

Real love is a life laid down.

The problem is that society has sold us a counterfeit version of love for centuries. You know the kind of garbage I’m talking about. Remember the infamous tag line from the movie “Love Story”? “Love means never having to say your sorry.” WHAT?!?! Talk about a lie straight from the pit of hell!! We’ve fallen for a phony love that’s all feeling and no substance. It’s not that love has no emotion. It certainly does but it certainly does NOT stop there.

If we want a legit definition of love, let’s go to someone who was an eyewitness. Someone who was right there and saw it for himself. His name is John. Specifically, the Apostle John. He’s a former commercial fisherman who chucked the family business in order to follow the radical Carpenter/Rabbi from Galilee. If being one of the Twelve wasn’t cool enough, John actually became Jesus’ best friend. I can’t think of a better guy to tell us all exactly what love really looks like. 

In a little letter we call First John, he defines it like this: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1Jn 3:16). Our Savior sacrificed Himself for you and me. We’re to sacrifice for those around us. 

Real love is a life laid down.

In this verse, John does two things. First, he defines what true love really is. Second, he tells us how to respond. Fact then action. Explanation then application. You see, when we understand the expression of Jesus’ love-in-action, we can’t sit still and can’t sit down. We get moving. We get doing. We get going. Not for us. But for others. We give because of what we’ve been given.

the kind of agape love Jesus showed you and me wasn’t just a warm fuzzy feeling. Real love is sacrifice. It’s love that does. Love with hands. Love with feet. Love that goes. It’s love in action. Jesus showed the universe that love is a verb.

So what exactly did Christ do? How did He lay down His life for us? Long before He left heaven to come to our rescue, God loved you and me. That love goes back a LONG way. So let’s go back. I mean WAY back! Back even before creation. Did you realize God loved you before He created the universe (Eph 1:4-5). But He didn’t just think good thoughts about us with a long distance love. Jesus didn’t just feel something for us. He did something for us. When we needed a Savior, the Son of God left the comforts of the heavenly palace and served us.

Real love is a life laid down.

Paul tells his friends in Philippi the kind of sacrifice Jesus made for us. He took “the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross (Phil 2:7-8). Think about that for just a minute. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords became the Servant of Servants. 

The classic example is the incredible picture in the Bible of the Sovereign Lord of the universe sitting on the floor washing the filthy feet of His followers (Jn 13:3-17). That’s what love looks like. As a matter of fact, Jesus told His now clean-footed posse how we’re to follow His sacrificial example. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35). 

Real love is a life laid down.

Just to be sure, godly love is a whole lot more than washing feet. There’s no greater example than what Jesus did for us on a cross one Friday at a place called Calvary. But His service to us is much more than a bloody spectacle of Roman torture and execution. Christ laid down His ENTIRE life as an act of love. He spent 33 years doing for us what we could never do for ourselves. He lived the perfectly obedient life that we failed to live. He died the death for our sin that we should have died. He rose to a spectacular new life that we don’t deserve. 

Christ put our needs ahead of His own right to be called God (Phil 2:6). And in doing so, He lived out His own definition of living large and loving large. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). Jesus didn’t just say He loved. He lived His love. He put His life on the line as a practical demonstration of how He felt.

Real love is a life laid down.

Back in 1st John, the apostle explains what the best love looks like and then goes on to tell us what we should do about it. “And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (v16). In doing so, John uses a word (Gr. opheilo) that’s translated here as “ought” but carries a LOT more weight than that. John doesn’t just suggest something to do in response to Jesus sacrifice. “Hey, here’s something you might try…” No, the original Greek term means to owe. To be in significant debt. To be obligated after receiving something of considerable value. The Son of God gave His very life for us. THAT is certainly of considerable value (1Pet 1:18-19)!

So what do we do about this massive debt we owe our Savior? There’s absolutely no way we can pay Him back. But we can pay it forward. We lay down our lives in sacrificial service of others as an act of worship to Jesus. That’s exactly the kind of debt repayment plan Paul wrote about to the church in Rome. “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law” (Rom 13:8). Declare spiritual bankruptcy and file Chapter 13. And by Chapter 13, I mean 1st Corinthians 13, the so-called “Love Chapter.” See what I did there?

Jesus laid down His life in order to pay our massive debt of sin. You think you’re six-figure student loan looks large? Not even Dave Ramsey is getting us out of hole our own sin. There’s only one answer. Christ. When we place our trust in Jesus, we’re trusting in what He did that we could never do. We can never repay Him for what He’s done for us. We can never earn our way into eternal life. 

Salvation is an undeserved gift. We have no reason to brag or boast about it. We’re not saved BY our good works but to DO good works (Eph 2:8-10). Just in case you were wondering, God doesn’t need your good works. But your neighbor does. I can’t pay Jesus back. But I can pay it forward. I can do that by laying down my life for others. Because I have received real love, I can give real love. Or as John likes to say, “We love because He first loved us” (1Jn 4:19).

Real love is a life laid down.

While I do own my fair share of Foreigner tunes, I’ve never had the privilege meeting Mick Jones and the boys. If any of us ever do, let’s make a point of telling them there’s no reason to look any further. Wanna know what love is? Take it from His buddy John

and check out Jesus. He’s happy to show you.

Real love is a life laid down.

When a Deacon Deacs Well

“For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1Tim 3:13).

Success in America is all about up and to the right. Profits need to grow. Careers need to advance. Stockholders demand more each quarter. The arrows on every chart and spreadsheet must be heading higher. It’s about more. It’s about climbing the ladder. 

Funny thing in God’s kingdom. In many ways, less is more. The way down is the way up. Throughout the Bible, God doesn’t discourage greatness. But over and over, He lets us know it’s in the opposite direction from what most business consultants charge big bucks for companies to hear.

In his letter to Pastor Timothy, Paul says leaders earn a great reputation in the local church by stepping down into sacrificial service. “For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (v13). In other words, a servant earns his rep by descending into greatness. That’s when you know a deacon deacs well. 

(Let me make sure you know I didn't coin the phrase "descending into greatness." Bill Hybels of Willow Creek gets ALL the credit for that!)

Jesus is using Paul and Timothy as a tag team to get the Ephesian church back on track. The apostle planted the church a few years back on one of his Mediterranean tours (Acts 19), but a team of false teachers derailed believers by distracting them from the Gospel. Paul personally gave the boot to Hymenaeus and Alexander, two of the leading spiritual con artists in Ephesus (1Tim 1:20). Now on divine assignment up the road in Macedonia, the man from Tarsus appoints his spiritual son Tim as pastor with specific instructions to continue cleaning up the mess they’ve made (1Tim 1:3-7). 

A big part of Pastor Tim’s assignment is assembling a godly leadership team of overseers (1Tim 3:1-7) and deacons (1Tim 3:8-12). Clearly the previous administration was all about serving themselves by climbing over the followers of Jesus at the church. They were all about up and to the right. All about what they could gain. All about how they could be served. 

Paul wraps up his description of what a sacrificial service looks like. A deacon builds his rep by stepping down. They’re not cocky about what they bring to the table. You see, servants grow in their trust in Christ by watching what He does in and through them. That’s what happens when a deacon deacs well.

The apostle tells Tim, “For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves” (v13). It’s interesting to note that this can be literally translated from Greek as simply “For those who serve well” (v13). The translators of the ESV (as well as the NASB, NRS, NKJV, and others) double up on the idea of servants who are serving. 

Follow me. This might be a bit confusing. Throughout this passage, the Greek word diakonos is translated “deacon” (1Tim 3:8, 10, 12). It literally means “servant.”  But “deacon” actually isn’t found anywhere in verse 13. Instead we see just the verb diakoneo, which means “to serve.” The ESV translators drop in “as deacons” to help us understand what Paul’s talking about. It makes sense. A servant serves. It’s what they do when Jesus gets ahold of them. So if a deacon is a servant and a deacon serves then deacon deacs. Make sense?  

So deacons deac well when they “gain a good standing for themselves” (v13). Just about every Bible version you read cooks up a different wording for this phrase. Here’s why. “Gain” is the verb peripoieomai, which means to obtain, acquire, procure, or purchase. It paints the picture of getting your hands on something through a whole lotta effort. It comes with a heavy cost. It didn’t come easy. 

The only other place you find this word in the New Testament is over in the Book of Acts. Coincidentally, Paul is talking to the elders from the Ephesian church during a layover on his way back to Jerusalem. He tells them, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the church of God, which He obtained (Gr. peripoieomai) with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). Jesus paid an unthinkable cost for His church. With His own blood. It certainly didn’t come easy. 

In many ways, the word “standing” is the real key to unlocking Paul’s words here. It’s the Greek noun bathmos. You can translate it as status, position, rank, or degree. But it literally describes a step or stairs leading up or down. It comes from a similar word (Gr. bathos) which can mean depth. Think sinking to the ocean floor. So it’s not a stretch to see that a deacon’s standing or status is purchased by descending into service. It comes with a heavy price tag. It doesn’t come easy. 

You might read this verse and think the apostle is encouraging a deacon to look for a promotion to elder or pastor. Why not? A supervisor is looking to move up to department head. A department head wants to be a VP. That may be the way it works in the business world but not so much in God’s kingdom. Nope. You see, a church’s view of a servant goes up as he steps down. It comes with a cost. Promotion by demotion. It’s not about what he gets but what he gives. 

A deacon also gains “great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (v13). But this isn’t just a quiet conviction in the Lord.  The word translated as “confidence” is parrhesia, which describes an openness, frankness, boldness, and courage to say what needs to be said. Jewish leaders were freaked out “when they saw the boldness (Gr. parrhesia)” Pete and John had when they told the folks about the resurrected Jesus (Acts 4:13). The writer of Hebrews uses it when encouraging us to go to God’s throne of grace “with confidence (Gr. parrhesia)” when we boldly ask for His help (Heb 4:16). This is speaking openly, publicly, plainly, and freely despite intimidating circumstances. 

Don’t think that bold faith in Jesus is just for super Christians like deacons. God encourages each one of us to speak openly and publicly about who our Savior is and what He’s done. Just to be clear, this is NOT about what we do to be saved. We can’t save ourselves. We can’t do enough good works, can’t follow enough rules, can’t earn enough supernatural brownie points to get God to let us into His kingdom. 

That’s where Jesus comes in. We can’t live a perfect life. But He did. We didn’t die a death on a cross for our sin. But He did. We didn’t rise to a new life. But He did. We trust in what He did on our behalf. Without trust in Jesus, my life is an epic fail. With trust in Him, eternal victory. It’s not about me. It’s all about Him. 

So everyone who serves does so as an act of worship to the One who has served us. Jesus is the ultimate Servant. He said Himself that He “came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45). About 800 years before Joe and Mary turned a barn into birthing room for Baby Jesus, the prophet Isaiah wrote about the suffering Servant who bore the brunt of God’s wrath for our sin (Is 52:13-53:12). 

If anyone ever deserved a life of up and to the right it was the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. But His career path to the throne of heaven came by descending in service. After Christ headed back home to heaven, one of the early hit praise songs was all about how He took “the form of a servant” (Phil 2:6). If you want to know what a servant looks like, take a long look at the Lord. If a deacon is a servant, there’s no greater deacon than Jesus.

It’s easy for us to get caught up in the tsunami of achievement and advancement. For Pete’s sake, it’s everywhere you turn. But deacons have the heart of a servant. They’re not looking to climb the ladder. They’re headed in the other direction. A deacon descends into greatness. That’s how you know when a deacon deacs well. 

The Deacon Test Drive

“And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless” (1Tim 3:10).

In many ways, the most important part of buying a car is the test drive. You may love the make and model, the color, and the sticker price, but that doesn’t mean jack if your potential new ride fails the road test. You don’t really know how it drives until you go for a drive. 

In the same way, the working interview is all the rage. It wasn’t that long ago when an employer examined your resume, checked all the references, and brought you in for a job interview. But these days, you can expect to do a working interview. Your potential new boss wants to see what you can do on the job BEFORE you get the job. Just as importantly, you get to see if it’s gig you’re willing to do. 

A couple of thousand years before anyone ever thought of hopping behind the wheel with a salesman in the front seat, Paul tells Timothy to do the same when it comes to serving as a deacon. “And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless” (v10). Make sure you check them out first. Consider an audition. See if they can do the job. See if they like the job. See if you like them doing the job. Take the deacon for a test drive. 

Deacons are a big part of getting the church in Ephesus back on track. A team of false teachers drove the congregation into the ditch. So Paul asked his sidekick Timothy to step in as lead pastor and get things rolling again. The list is pretty straightforward. Step one: get rid of the rest of the spiritual snake oil salesmen (1Tim 1:3-7). Step two: Find and appoint new leaders called overseers (1Tim 3:1-7) and deacons (1Tim 3:8-13) to fill the newly created leadership void. 

God calls overseers to…well…provide oversight for the church. (Impressed with that observation, aren’t you? You’re looking at years of seminary training pay off right in front of your eyes!) They watch over the flock, watch out for trouble, and look to the horizon providing direction. Overseers (AKA pastors and elders) should have mad teaching and preaching skills when it comes to God’s Word (1Tim 3:2). 

Meanwhile, deacons are to set the bar for sacrificial service in the church. The word “deacon” actually comes from the Greek word that means “servant” (Gr. diakonos). Deacons roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty allowing the elders to focus on teaching. That’s exactly how the whole deal got going in the first place back in the Book of Acts (Acts 6:2-4). The apostles got themselves overcommitted and dragged into food service when they should have been concentrating sermon prep and prayer. The church drafted the Serving Seven to take that off their plate. 

Paul tells Tim to test every prospective deacon to see if they’re up to the job. He uses the Greek word dokimazo, which means to learn if someone or something is worthwhile through actual use. You put them through the paces. In one of Jesus’ parables, He describes how a farmer turns down an invitation to the social event of the year in order to check out his new livestock. “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go examine (Gr. dokimazo) them. Please have me excused” (Lk 14:19). Hmm, would you call that going for a test cattle drive? Yeah, I was sorry about that one the moment I typed it.

The apostle is talking about the kind of testing that reveals the true quality of something. What happens when the rubber meets the road. Jesus’ kid brother James writes about how “the testing (Gr. dokimazo) of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3). In other words, your trust in Jesus gets a LOT stronger after you’ve held on tight to Him in the storm. And one day, we’ll eventually know if what we’ve done stands up to the blast furnace of God’s judgment because “the fire will test (Gr. dokimazo) what sort of work each one has done” (1Cor 3:13).  

Before giving someone the title of deacon and the church’s seal of approval, they have to “prove themselves blameless” (v10). Paul drops a term here (Gr. anegkletos) which describes someone who’s beyond reproach. It’s a compound word that literally means somebody who is unable to be called out. If you’re a fan of the WWE, you know what I’m talking about. A wrestler like the Rock or Ric Flair is standing in the ring with the mic and they challenge a rival who’s done them wrong to come out to fight right now. You’ve seen it movie westerns. One cowboy stands outside the tavern challenging the man who shot his pa to a gunfight. The person who climbs into the ring or through the swinging doors of the saloon has just eliminated himself as a deacon. 

Paul uses a slightly different term here for “blameless” (Gr. anegkletos) than he does when requiring an overseer to be “above reproach (Gr. anepilemptos)” back in verse 2. Don’t think there’s a huge difference in the integrity of an pastor/elder and a deacon. The apostle writes similar instructions to buddy Titus as he searches for overseers for churches on the island of Crete. These men need to be “above reproach (Gr. anegkletos)” (Titus 1:6-7). If we’ve done our due diligence on our deacons, we shouldn’t have to worry about seeing them involved in a scandal the next time we turn on the 6 o’clock news.

The good news about the Good News is that Christ came to make every person who trusts Him blameless as well. God promises to “sustain you to the end, guiltless (Gr. anegkletos) in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Cor 1:8). Jesus has given Himself up “in order to present you holy and blameless (Gr. anegkletos) and above reproach” to our heavenly Father (Col 1:22). Our Savior swapped His perfection for our imperfection (2Cor 5:21). His sinlessness for our sinfulness. His righteousness for our wrongfulness. Someone once called it “The Great Exchange.” Jesus does for us what we could never dream of doing for ourselves. As a result, we’re shame-free and blame-free. Blamelessness. It’s not just for overseers and deacons.

Meanwhile back in Paul’s first letter to Pastor Tim, we read that once deacon passes his working interview and proves to have integrity, leadership endorses them in their service. Think of seeing the UL tag on your new microwave or plasma TV or a great review from Consumer Reports. A deacon gets the…wait for it…God Housekeeping Seal of Approval. See what I did there?

Businesses use working interviews as part of their hiring process. Customers take their new ride for quick spin as part of buying a car. Paul says we should do the same when checking out our deacons. It’s good for the church. It’s good for the servant. Call it the Deacon Test Drive. 

The Con Game

“For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3).

Just stop. Right now. Quit trying. Don't fall for the cont. You’re wasting your time. You can’t do it. You cannot save yourself. And even if you could (which you CAN’T!), you can’t keep yourself saved. Before you completely punk out on any hope of a relationship with God, there’s some good news. Some VERY Good News. “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (v3). While you and I are completely helpless to rescue ourselves, God does for us what we could never do. As a matter of fact, the entire Trinity teams up on our behalf. Father, Son, and Spirit roll up their supernatural sleeves to do what we could never do. We’re cut free from our sin. We don’t thump our own chest but point to the One who deserves the applause. And this starts when we come to the cold, cruel reality that we’re not all that and a bag a chips.

Paul writes to the church in Philippi from behind bars in Rome. He’s firing off a quick note of encouragement to some of his favorite people on the planet. He fell in love with these folks several years back on his second tour of the Mediterranean rim telling everyone who would listen about Jesus (Acts 16:12-40). While he waits for Caesar to hear his appeal, the apostle has already written letters putting out fires among believers in Colossae and Ephesus. Those folks are faced with a false teaching which says Jesus alone can’t get us in God’s kingdom, much less keep us in. According to these spiritual hucksters, we have to work our butts off following all sorts of religious rites, rules, and rituals in order stay saved. So Paul includes a couple of lines of warning to his Philippian friends warning against buying this spiritual snake oil.

Maybe the people spreading this message aren’t so bad after all. Rewind one verse and check out the apostle’s description of these knuckleheads. “Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh” (Phil 3:2). Dogs. Wicked workers. Mutilators. They sound less like pastors and mentors than characters from a Stephen King novel. These false teachers try to weasel into local churches and dupe the followers of Jesus to trusting in their own efforts. You need to know that there was a HUGE controversy over what to do with all of these Gentiles God was saving. Since nearly all the believers were Jewish to this point, a lot of folks thought it would be a great idea for these non-Jews to convert to Judaism as a requirement of following Jesus. You can imagine circumcision was kind of a big deal. Eventually, the big dogs at the home office back in Jerusalem decided this was a non-starter (Acts 15:1-29). You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from Gentile believers.

But the ruling from church leaders didn’t stop a crew called the Judaizers from wreaking havoc among the followers of Jesus. They peddled a false gospel which included that very delicate and personal surgical procedure. That’s exactly who and what Paul talks about in the previous verse when warns us of the “mutilators of the flesh” (Phil 3:2). Instead, “we are the circumcision” (v3). He’s saying the true followers of Jesus aren’t saved by a scalpel. Instead of someone hacking away at my human flesh, God cuts away the sin and spiritual impurity from my previously wicked heart. For a better understanding of this idea of spiritual circumcision, The Message calls these folks “the real believers” (v3 The Message). The apostle makes this point in a letter to Roman believers. “Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of the Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith” (Rom 2:29-30). Even with all the incredible advances in medicine today, there’s not a surgeon anywhere skilled enough to do that. But God can. Instead of hacking away at human flesh like Sweeney Todd, God gently and precisely slices away our sin. He does what we could not. 

After God slices and dices the sin from your heart, we are now able to “worship by the Spirit of God” (v3). The Father and Son now partner up so that we can truly treasure and cherish God for who He is and what He’s done. Paul uses an interesting Greek word here for “worship” (v3). This is latreuo, which means to serve, venerate, perform activities which recognize faith in God. The emphasis of the word is activity. Jesus uses this term in one of His comebacks to Satan during His temptation. Christ drops a little Deuteronomy on the devil and says, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve (Gr. latreuo)” (Mt 4:10). We only able to worship God through our service because of His Spirit has gotten involved. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman all about the mysterious spiritual connection in genuine worship. “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people who worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23-24). The Father trims our sin. The Spirit allows us to worship and serve.

Instead of thumping our own chest and taking any credit, we “glory in Christ Jesus” (v3). The apostle uses a slightly different word here than we normally see in the NT for glory. This is the verb kauchaomai, which describes boasting or taking pride in something. We don’t celebrate what we’ve done. We don’t take center stage and bask in the applause. No, we know the spotlight is reserved for just for Jesus. We rejoice because of what He’s done in our place. Christ lived the perfect life of obedience we failed to live. He died the bloody death on the cross we should have died. He rose to a spectacular new life we don’t deserve. We boast in what He’s done for us. This is most ridiculous and lopsided transaction in the history of the universe. Martin Luther calls it the Great Exchange. Jesus gives us His perfect sinlessness and obedience for our sin and disobedience. If we’re going to be proud of anything or anyone, it’s in the risen Rabbi from Nazareth. 

We point to Jesus because there is not reason to “put no confidence in the flesh” (v3). He did for us what we could never dream of doing on our own. Don’t let anybody try to fool you into thinking otherwise. I can’t save myself through rule following. I can’t save myself by church attendance. I can’t save myself by being a good person. Anybody trying to convince you to have confidence in yourself is con artist. You can’t do it. Only Jesus can. When He was one the cross, He didn’t scream out, “Now get busy!” Christ shouted, “It is finished!” (Jn 19:30). He wants us to realize we can’t rely on our own human effort to pull ourselves up by our spiritual bootstraps. There is absolutely nothing inside us that can give us the power or ability to save ourselves. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero. The folks in Galatia were dealing with some similar smoke and mirrors. Follow the rules, the false teachers said. Save yourselves, they said. You can do it, sure you can, hey, let’s go! The apostle puts his foot down and tells them there’s only one thing to place our hope. “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Gal 6:14-15). 

Confidence in myself is con. Check out the Amplified Bible’s take on this verse. “For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances” (v3 AMP). So just stop. Right now. Quit trying. You’re wasting your time. Don't fall for the con. You can’t do it. You cannot save yourself. But Jesus can.

Whoa! Halfway There!!

“Whoa! Halfway there!!” 

About 2,500 years before Bon Jovi and the boys sang about Tommy busting his butt on the docks, Nehemiah and the Israelites hit the halfway point rebuilding the walls. Despite the cat calls and smack talk from knuckleheads like Sanballat and Tobiah, the work goes on and the walls go up. But this is so much more than sheer determination in the face of opposition. The perseverance of the people is an answer to prayer. Nehemiah steps up in leadership when he drops to his knees and prays to God about the situation. The LORD responds to Nehemiah’s prayer by putting the Hebrews to work. And before you know it, they’ve hit the midway point of the project. 

“Whoa! Halfway there!! Whoa! An answer to the prayer!!”

Let’s rewind just a bit and see how we got here. The glory of Jerusalem seems like a distant memory. Under the leadership of the wisest man in the world, King Solomon, this city was once one of THE destinations in the ancient Near East. But the disobedience and rebellion of God’s chosen people against His goodness eventually led the LORD to send Nebuchadnezzar to sack the city and drag the Jews back to Babylon into captivity. For 70 years, the Hebrews serve as slaves almost 1,000 miles away from the Promised Land. Suddenly, God begins working through a series of pagan Persian kings to bring them back home. Yahweh enlists various men to lead a three different expeditions. First, Zerubbabel. Second, Ezra. Third, Nehemiah. 

Just a few months ago, our man Nehemiah was pulling his shift as King Artaxerxes’ cupbearer back at the winter palace in Susa (Neh 1:1, 11). His brother breaks the news to him about the broken walls of Jerusalem and it breaks his heart (Neh 1:2-3). The word of the crisis brings Nehemiah to his knees in prayer (Neh 1:4-11). Little does he know what God is about to orchestrate. Before he can pop the cork on the next bottle of Merlot for his royal highness, this humble wine steward is leading an expedition to rebuild the once proud city on a hill (Neh 2:1-8, 11). After a bit of quick midnight recon (Neh 2:12-16), Nehemiah pitches the project to the city leaders of Jerusalem and tells them that the king and God are behind the project (Neh 2:17-18). 

Before we start to think everything is rainbows and unicorns, we need to realize that this is the real world. There is opposition. There is massive pushback on the project from a group of local thugs named Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem (Neh 2:10, 19-20). But under Nehemiah’s encouragement and leadership, the people get busy. This is a total team effort (Neh 3:1-32). Sanaballat and the boys amp up their bullying tactics even more (Neh 4:1-3). Nehemiah prays even more (Neh 4:4-5). 

How does God respond to this latest prayer by the leader of the project? Does His angel army rumble over the horizon to the rescue? Do the walls miraculously build themselves overnight? Nope. Something even more unexpected happens. “So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work” (v6). Nehemiah and the Hebrew work crew buckle down and start building up. Despite the trash talk and intimidation of their enemies, the Israelites trust in God’s provision and protection on this project. As part of his prayer, Nehemiah makes the huge point that Sanballat’s thugs weren’t just a pain to the people. “They have provoked You to anger in the presence of the builders” (Neh 4:5). They were standing in blatant opposition of God. Just in case you were wondering, this is NOT a good place to be. You will lose. Every. Single. Time. Nehemiah not only leads the people in the project but in the demonstration of faith as well. He constantly reminds everyone that God has a firm grip on what’s going on (Neh 2:8, 18). So they built the wall. A God-given passion combined with a prayer-driven action is powerful combo.

At this point, we get a status report on the project. “And all the wall was joined together to half its height” (v6). Back in chapter 3, Nehemiah walked us around the job site to show how everybody is working at the same time. The stones are connecting. The holes are closing. The people are working. This is all hands on deck. In some ways, this is a picture of how things should work in the local church. Everybody needs to be a part. Just as the wall has joined together, the body of Christ should join together. We all need to get off our blessed assurance and serve. It’s not what Jesus from you. It’s what He wants FOR you. There is a huge blessing when we serve together. There is a huge blessing when we build the walls.

And the people are making incredible progress. Before you know it, the city wall rises “to half its height” (v6). While the author doesn’t pull out his tape measure and tell us just how high this is, archaeologist Sir Charles Warren has found evidence that the ancient walls of Jerusalem during the days of Nehemiah were about 200 feet tall. That certainly is awesome headway, but they are far from finished. The city is still vulnerable and still in danger. Remember, it wasn’t that long ago that the walls at full height failed to keep out the Babylonian army. But HUGE progress has been made due to God’s hand, the people’s faith, and Nehemiah’s leadership. They’re halfway there. Cue Bon Jovi.

Nehemiah not only gives us a status report on the walls, but the people as well. “For the people had a mind to work” (v6). A closer look at the original text of this little sentence tells us a lot. He uses a Hebrew word for “work” (Heb. ‘asah) that can be translated as to do, make, produce, and maintain. It carries the powerful idea of perseverance and powering through. Again, we see God answering Nehemiah’s prayer by giving the people the passion to persevere. The LORD sustains the drive in the hearts and minds of the Israelites to keep going. He gives them the motivation to push through. To keep on keeping on. We see that in The Message’s take on verse 6. “We kept at it, repairing and rebuilding the wall” (v6 The Message).

Notice how Nehemiah takes absolutely no credit for such fast work by the people. He prays to God and celebrates the crew. The insults and intimidation of knuckleheads like Sanballat and Tobia have no effect on the Israelites. If anything, they may have worked even harder! A huge part of God’s blessing on rebuilding the walls is that He gave His people a desire and passion to do the work. They have the mind to do it. They have the mind to make it. They have the mind to keep it going. A God-given passion combined with a prayer-driven action is powerful combo. 

Cue Bon Jovi.

“Whoa! Halfway there!! Whoa! An answer to the prayer!!”

Nehemiah's Booming Serve

A tennis player with a booming serve can dominate just about any opponent. The top players in the game used their serve to take many titles. Roger Federer. Pete Sampras. Novak Djokovic. Venus and Serena Williams. Martina Navratilova. And they didn’t him Boris “Boom Boom” Becker for nothing. These folks could bring it. The Bible is also loaded with men and women with big serves. Nehemiah could let it rip. He could serve with the best. And here in Nehemiah 1:5-11, we see him uncorking one of the top serves in the Old Testament. And he does it from his knees. Our man Nehemiah serves others through prayer. Yeah, he’s got a big, booming serve.

Let’s back up a bit and see what led to Nehemiah’s big serve. After shipping His people off into Babylonian exile for their own disobedience, God is actively working to return them to the Promised Land. He nudges the pagan Persian King Cyrus to send a large number of Jews back home (Ez 1:1-4). The LORD also uses King Darius to sign off of second resettlement. Later it’s Artaxerxes’ turn to be used by the God of Israel (Ez 7:1-28). Despite rebuilding the temple (Ez 6:14-15), the renovation of Jerusalem grinds to a halt. Meanwhile, we meet a servant named Nehemiah working in the royal winter palace in Susa (Neh 1:1). His brother and his posse are fresh back from Judah and the news isn’t good. This situation there is so bad that Jerusalem has become a joke (Neh 1:3). The wall of the city is a pile of stones. The city gates are in ashes. The breaking news of the broken walls breaks Nehemiah’s heart. That’s when we see him serve. He prays, and prays, and prays. And in doing so, he serves, and serves, and serves. Nehemiah’s got a HUGE serve!

He pleads to “the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love” (v5). Later in this same book, Nehemiah describes how the people turn from their sin and turn back to “the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love” (Neh 9:32). It’s probably not too surprising that this is almost exactly the same way Daniel cries out to Yahweh when he confesses the rebellion of God’s people during their captivity in Babylon. “O LORD, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Dan 9:4). Nehemiah is crying out to the God who will absolutely do what He promises He will do. 

This is a massive reminder that this is NOT about the strength of our faith but in the One in whom we place our faith. Jesus will never fail. Jesus will never let us go. Once we’re in His kung fu grip, He’ll never let us go. Should we try to hang on to Him with everything we have? Absolutely. But eventually my grip will slip. I can trust in Christ and His steadfast, ongoing, never-ending, faithful, long lasting love. He’ll never let go. He’ll never stop loving. That’s the God Nehemiah is crying out to from the palace in Persia. That’s the God we can still call on today. 

Nehemiah pleads with God, “Let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant” (v6). It’s almost as if Nehemiah learned to pray by reading Daniel. “O my God, incline Your ear and hear. Open Your eyes and see our desolations” (Dan 9:18). There’s no doubt that the book of Daniel heavily influenced and encouraged God’s people during their 70-plus years in exile. And why wouldn’t it? Dan the Man is one of the first of Israel’s best and brightest to get shipped to Babylon (Dan 1:1-7). He knows the exile firsthand. The LORD uses Daniel to let the Jews know that He hasn’t forgotten them. He is listening to their prayers. He is watching what’s going on. He will bring them back home to the Promised Land. That’s exactly the God to whom Nehemiah calls on. He knows that God is listening. He knows that God is watching. He knows that God cares. You and I can be sure that He’s listening, watching, and caring what happens in our lives. Sounds like a great reason to pray, don’t you think? Nehemiah sure does.

The son of Hacaliah asks God “to hear the prayer of Your servant” (v6). While he’s a lowly slave in the Persian palace, he sees himself as God’s servant. He uses the Hebrew noun ‘ebed, which means slave, worker, bondservant, or manservant. This fascinating term appears a total of 22 times in the book of Nehemiah, eight of those are right here in this prayer (v5-11). While it can describe someone in forced and begrudging employment, the word actually be used for someone in willing and joyful service of God. Some scholars see a beautiful element of worship in this sense.  Moses uses a variation of this same word when he writes about God’s call on Adam in the garden. “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden to work it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). Remember, this is BEFORE the Fall. Adam’s service in Eden was a joyful act of worship to our good and gracious God. Before the Fall, Adam had a booming serve. 

Nehemiah sees himself as God’s servant. He understands Moses to be in the same role (v7-8). He understands all of God’s people to be His servants (v10-11). Nehemiah knows that the coming Messiah is the ultimate servant. The prophet Isaiah writes pages of the suffering Servant who serves His God and His people by substituting Himself on their behalf (Is 42:1-7; 49:1-9; 50:4-10; 52:13-53:12). If you’re wondering, Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prediction as that incredible suffering Servant. A former murderer named Paul tells his Philippian friends that Jesus “emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant” by going to the cross in our place (Phil 2:7-8). Christ came to serve you and me. He serves us by living the perfectly obedient life that you and I failed to live. He serves us by dying the death for our sin that we should have died. He serves us by rising to a glorious new life that we don’t deserve. The King of Kings is the Servant of Servants. Jesus has a booming serve!

Back at the palace in Persia, Nehemiah is “confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against You” (v7). Like Jesus, he has the attitude of a servant leader. He doesn’t just pray and confess his own sin and rebellion but he humbles himself before God on behalf of the people of Israel. He doesn’t just pray for their most recent sins but for the Israelites long, sordid history rebellion against God. Nehemiah traces God’s faithfulness and goodness back to back in the day. Back to Moses. He also traces the people’s rejection of God back to Moses. Nehemiah prays to a God who is a better Savior than the people are sinners. If his prayer on behalf of others sounds familiar, it should. In the prequel, Ezra confesses for the sin of the people (Ez 10:1). Daniel did too (Dan 9:20). Even Jesus pleads with His Dad to forgive the very people who were murdering Him (Lk 23:34). It would be easy for folks like these to take one look at the sins of their friends and say, “Stinks to be you.” But they don’t. They serve others by praying and confessing on their behalf.

Nehemiah understands that our sin is ultimately a sin against God. It’s a rebellion against His authority. It’s a rejection of His goodness. It’s a refusal of His protection. King David hooked up with one of buddy’s wives, gotten her pregnant, and then had him killed. Despite all of the bloodshed and betrayal, David knew that his biggest crime was against God. “Against You, You only, have I sinned” (Ps 51:4). Nehemiah confesses, “We have acted very corruptly against you” (v7). He makes it clear that the people are responsible for trashing their relationship with God. That all started with our first parents back in Eden (Gen 3:1-7). He points out that the people have specifically broken “the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that You commanded Your servant Moses” (v7). And it’s still true today. Our fingerprints of rebellion against the LORD are all over the scene of the crime. We’ve destroyed it. We’ve spoiled it. We’ve ruined it. We’ve broken it. But that’s what Jesus came to restore because there’s no way we could. He came to bring us back into a relationship with His Heavenly Dad.

The king’s cupbearer remembers God’s promises to Moses and His people. “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples” (v8; Lev 26:33; Dt 28:64). Nehemiah and the Israelites need no further proof of that. All they need to do is look around. They’re living almost 1,000 miles away from the Promised Land that God had given them. But Nehemiah also remembers God’s guarantee to bring them home if they only turn back to Him (v9). In his prayer, he praises Yahweh for rolling up His supernatural sleeves in the first place. “They are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand” (v10). The people did nothing to earn their rescue. God did it all by Himself. Through His great power. By His strong hand. Don’t forget that there’s absolutely nothing we did to make ourselves worth saving. God did it all by Himself. Through His great power. By His strong hand. 

Nehemiah wraps up his prayer of service by asking for a specific request. “Give success to Your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man” (v11). “This man” is King Artaxerxes. He’s really hoping that God will provide him with an opportunity ask the pagan dictator for something big. Something REALLY big. His heart breaks for the broken walls of Jerusalem and the broken lives those living in the Promised Land. You see, Nehemiah may just be a servant in the palace but he has regular access to the most powerful man on the planet. “Now I was the cupbearer to the king” (v11). He’s going to leverage his place and position for the glory of God’s kingdom and the good of His people. Where has God placed and positioned you? How can you use where you are for His glory and the good of His people. Think of him as Artaxerxes’ personal wine steward. But in the ancient world, it was more than just helping the king choose a Merlot or Chardonnay. He was there to check for poison. He would taste it first. If he would die, the king would know he should probably open a different bottle. We don’t know how many of the king’s cupbearers had croaked before Nehemiah. But today, he’s going to use the opportunity to serve. And Nehemiah’s got a booming serve!

Submission Possible

“Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative” (Titus 2:9).

Christians really annoy me at times. It seems like every time I turn around one of the folks on Jesus’ team is doing something that makes me scratch my head. One thing that really ticks me off is when someone who claims to follow Christ is a bad employee. You know the kind. Despite the fish on the car, the Bible on the desk, and the cross around their neck, they are late and lazy. Well, the Apostle Paul instructed Titus to make sure that every one of us who works for the Man isn’t just a good employee, but a great one. We do what we’re told. We do it with a smile. We do it without talking about. Without Christ, it’s next to impossible. As followers of Jesus, this is submission possible.

Before we dig into the specifics of this verse, let’s remember the big picture of what’s going on here. Jesus’ message of God’s grace has turned the island of Crete upside down. As a result, Paul gives Titus a three-point plan. One, put elders in place to fill the leadership void in every church (Titus 1:5). Two, shut down and shut up a team of false teachers that are stirring up trouble among these new believers (Titus 1:10-11). Three, establish a self-sustaining system to teach folks what it means to follow Jesus (Titus 2:1-10). 

The structure for this system of discipleship is pretty simple really. Older dudes teaching younger dudes (Titus 2:2, 6). Older ladies teaching younger ladies (Titus 2:3-5). And just to make sure he’s not leaving anybody out, Paul tells the Big T what to instruct slaves. These “bondservants” were the lifeblood of the Mediterranean rim. Let’s be clear and historically accurate about slavery in the Greco-Roman world. According to Tim Keller, it was not at all like the race-based slavery of the African slave trade and the American South before the Civil War. Slavery in Paul’s day was not race-based and seldom lifelong. It was often a way to pay off a debt and lasted about ten years. The best way to understand it is a form of indentured servitude. You didn’t file bankruptcy back in the day. You paid your debt by going to work.

There were different kinds of slavery in the first century. Without a doubt, some situations were very harsh and brutal. A bondservant was often not much more than a piece of property. But most actually earned a living wage. According to Andrew T. Lincoln, many slaves actually held white collar jobs, like professors, teachers, administrators, civil servants. Some scholars actually believe that Paul’s buddy Dr. Luke was a bondservant at one point. Estimates of the level of slavery of the time are all over the place. One historian believes that 30-40% of Italians were slaves in the first century. Another estimates that slaves made up 10-15% of the entire Roman Empire. 

Before you think Paul’s instructions to bondservants is his stamp of approval of this awful institution, let’s pump our brakes. Instead of commanding the end of slavery, Jesus is going to use men like the man from Tarsus to take it down from the inside out. F.F. Bruce writes, “What (Paul’s letters) do is bring us into an atmosphere in which the institution of slavery could only wilt and die.” Here’s the deal, slavery would come to a natural and logical end because of the Gospel. Scripture inspired like William Wilberforce to get to work.

So with all that history out of the way, shouldn’t we simply skip over these verses? Not so fast, my friend. Let’s step back and read these instructions to employees. Most of us work for a living. Read Paul’s words as what it looks like to work well as a follower of Jesus. First of all, every member of the workforce should “be submissive” (v9). This is the Greek verb hupotasso. It literally means to put something under something. It’s the idea of placing under authority, or bringing under firm control. The term actually has a military background. Troops were placed under the command of a general. The grammar of this particular verse paints a picture of someone who willingly obeys another and takes a subordinate place. In other words, employees should do what they are told without having to be threatened with probation, suspension, or being fired. Remember, Paul is talking about slaves in the original passage. How much more are Jesus following employees expected to respectfully obey their employers! We’re talking submission possible.

Every working man or woman is to be obedient “to their own masters” (v9). Understand your company’s org chart. Know the chain of command. Know who you’re working for, first and foremost. My specific point of obedience is to my own boss, not everybody else. My submission isn’t limited. It’s “in everything” (v9). As long as we’re not asked to defy God and sin, we’re to do whatever we’re told. Be a good follower. When our boss asks us to jump, we ask just need to know how high. And don’t miss the point that being a good employee is NOT dependent on having a good boss. It doesn’t matter if your supervisor is fair or unfair, kind or cruel. 

Paul tells Titus that bondservants should be “well-pleasing” (v9). When we’re at work, let’s put a smile on somebody’s face. Our boss should look forward to when we walk through the door. Don’t let them dread working with us. We also shouldn’t talk back, or in the apostle’s words “not argumentative” (v9). Don’t whine. Don’t complain. Don’t grumble. This doesn’t mean you can’t discuss an assignment with your boss from time to time and offer our thoughts on ways to get things done. But please don’t constantly question why you’re being asked to do what you do. 

Submission is a huge part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We should willingly serve each other (Eph 5:21). In his letter to the folks in Ephesus (a major center of the first century slave trade), Paul wrote, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ” (Eph 6:5). If we think that submission might be for others but not for us, we need to remember that Jesus Himself willingly and voluntarily did what His Dad wanted. He’s the supernatural poster boy for willing submission (Phil 2:5-8). Remember, He’s God but still obeyed. The King of Kings became the Servant of Servants. And don’t forget His readiness to do His Father’s will even when it meant a bloody death on a Roman cross (Lk 22:42). 

Because of Jesus’ obedience, we can obey. Submission possible.

Jesus' Kid Brother

“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ” (v1).

Ever wonder what Jesus was like growing up? You know, what kind of kid was He? The writers of the Bible don’t have a lot to say about those days. Wouldn’t it be great if we could hear from someone who knew Jesus back in the day? Someone who knew Him before there was all this crazy talk of being Messiah and the Son of God. Well, wouldn’t you know it, there are! His little brothers James and Jude actually wrote books of the Bible. These two guys grew up sharing the same bedroom with our Savior. And it took them a while to believe that Jesus is who He said He was (Jn 7:5; Mk 3:21). That didn’t happen until their big Brother walked out of the graveyard (1Cor 15:6). Brother Jim turns out to be a big dog in the early church in Jerusalem. Jude’s resume might not be as impressive as his other brothers, but he has some very important things to tell folks who follow Jesus.

First of all, Jude doesn’t play the “little brother of the Savior of the world” card. As a matter of fact, he simply says he’s “a servant of Jesus Christ” (v1). He only claims to be the “brother of James” (v1). His pen drips with humility. I don’t know about you, but if I’m Jude, I’m more than ready to drop this nuclear bomb of knowledge on everyone I meet. Comedian Brian Regan does this hilarious routine about what it must be like to be Neil Armstrong. No matter how anyone brags at dinner party, he can stop the conversation with, “Well, I walked on the moon.” Jude’s one of the few people in history who can top the first man on the moon. “I’m Jesus’ kid brother.” That’s when you drop the mic and walk off. And if there’s ever a time to do it, you’d think it would be in the opening lines of a letter to folks who’ve placed their trust in your big Brother as their Lord and Savior. But no. He’s simply a humble servant. 

So just where did this dude Jude learn to put others first? I’m guessing that’s also from watching his big Brother. Jesus told His own posse that while He might be Messiah, He didn’t come to be waited on. “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). The Apostle Paul wrote about the mind-blowing fact that Jesus isn’t just the King of Kings but the Servant of Servants. “Though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:6-7). Jesus is God but didn’t put His kung fu grip on that truth when He became human. Instead He set His focus on serving others. The very night He was betrayed, Jesus went so far as to grab a towel and wash His disciples’ feet (Jn 13:3-5). If there ever was a time when our Savior could have been the guest of honor, it was that night. Instead, He served.   

Jude could have latched onto the fact that he was Jesus’ little brother and never let go. But he has the same humble attitude as Jesus. Jude is a servant. He’s here to help. Just like his big Brother.

The Joint Is Jumpin'

...from Whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds up in love (Eph 4:16).

Long before a football player runs out the tunnel and hits the field, he spends hours and hours getting his body in tip top shape.  Pumping iron.  Stretching.  He knows that he can't perform at his best if his muscles aren't ripped and joints aren't limber.  Paul says the same thing about the local church in Ephesians 4:16.  He points out that Jesus' body needs to be in maximum physical condition for top performance.  Too much is at stake to limp onto the field.  It's only because Christ "from Whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds up in love" (v16).  Only when each one of us is strong, limber and serving is the joint really jumpin'!

From the top of the verse, Paul lets us know who's behind the growth and health of my church.  It's Jesus "from Whom...makes the body grow" (v16).  Christ is personally responsible for the health and maturity of His church.  He told His buddy Pete that this whole church building deal is on Him (Mt 16:18).  As a result, He gives spiritual gifts through His Spirit to equip His body.  He also handpicks His coaching staff, "the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds/teachers" (Eph 4:11).  This is like an NFL team providing the best facilities, coaches and equipment for their players.  Jesus personally provides everything His team will need to be successful on the field.

But like a winning team, your church needs all the players on the field, healthy and performing.  Paul says Jesus has put together the Ephesian squad and it's "joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped" (v16).  The word "joined" is the Greek verb sunarmologeo.  It means to fit closely together like parts of a building or body parts.  Christ has put together each roster at each local church exactly as He's planned.  He has just the right players at each position.  Jesus doesn't just bring us together, He keeps us together.  The apostle describes how we are "held together" (v16).  The Greek word sumbibazo means to cause to unite or gather or compact.  Paul encourages the players for Colossian franchise using the very same language (Col 2:19).  Jesus doesn't just assemble His team and hopes it stays together.  He personally works to maintain great team chemistry of the locker room.   

But a well-trained squad that has great chemistry off the field still must play well together on the field.  The local church only performs "when each part is working properly" (v16).  My church only functions at max capacity when everyone is doing what God has gifted them to do.  The local church is a joint venture.  (Yeah, I know.  That was bad.  VERY bad.)  But when each one of us is serving and using our God-given gifts, talents and abilities, we're "working properly" (v16).  When every ligament, every cartilage, every joint, every arm and every leg is doing its thing, the local church is in limber and strong.  If not, we limp and we stumble.  The church can't perform with a bum shoulder, cranky knee or gimpy ankle.  We can't end up on the DL.  We can't fly around the field wearing a big, clunky knee brace.  We need everyone serving in their gifts in order to be healthy and out on the field.

That's when is the joint really jumpin'!

So is your team at full strength?  Is everyone serving using the gifts Jesus has given?  Are YOU serving?  Are YOU ready to hit the field?  Paul told the team in Rome that their squad must have all of its players healthy and ready to play.  "For as one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another" (Rom 12:4-5).  The stakes of the game are too high to not have full, healthy roster.  There's a lost and dying world out there.  Eternity hangs in the balance.  

We need the joint to be jumpin'!