Behavior in the Community of Jesus (1 John 2:1-11)

What does godly behavior in the community of Jesus look like? 1 John 2:1-11 says it looks like a) obedience to God’s word, b) walking with Jesus, and c) genuine love for our sisters and brothers. We can’t say we know God if we ignore what God says. We can’t claim to abide in Christ if our lives aren’t being shaped in his likeness. We can’t claim to be walking in the light if we hate our sisters and brothers.

This weekend we press on to explore what BELONGING looks like in the community of Jesus.  Here’s a hint. It’s not the way Cain ‘belonged’ to his brother. Read 1 John 3:11-18 and study up on Genesis chapter 4 to learn more about Cain and Abel.

If you’re studying 1 John 2:1-11 with a friend or in your small group, here are some questions to ponder.

1. Name some different kinds of communities (social clubs, service organizations, professional associations, neighborhood friendships). What beliefs inform that community? Are there any explicit or implicit standards of behavior expected in that community? How does a person know whether or not they “belong” to that community?
2. Re-read 1 John 2:1-11. According to verse 2, What does it mean that Jesus is the “propitiation” for our sins? (Check some other Bible translations.) According to 1 John, is it okay for Christians to keep on sinning? Why or why not?
3. On a scale of 1-10, how well do you know the Bible? On a scale of 1-10, how much do you live your life like Jesus would if he were you? Are those numbers higher or lower than they would have been one year ago? Explain.
4. To what commandment is John referring in 1 John 2:7-8? (cf. John 13:1-20) In what sense do you think this commandment is new and old at the same time?
5. What kind of Christian do you find most difficult to love? In what ways can you be difficult to be loved by others?

Foundation for Christian Community is Jesus

The season of Lent has begun. We are headed toward the cross and onto the resurrection! The book of 1 John is guiding us on this lenten journey.  

Pastor Katrina reminded us this weekend that the foundation of Christian community is none other than Jesus Christ. Jesus' resurrection life binds us together. Our joy is made complete (1 John 1:4) through fellowship in Christ.

Find your lenten ryhthm by reading from 1 John every weekday!

Mondays - read chapter 1 (work on memorizing verse 1:7)

Tuesdays - read chapter 2 (work on memorizing verse 2:16)

Wednesdays - read chapter 3 (work on memorizing verse 3:1)

Thursdays - read chapter 4 (work on memorizing verse 4:18)

Fridays - read chapter 5 (work on memorizing verse 5:14)

If you're studying 1 John with a friend or in a small group, consider these follow-up questions for 1 John 1:1-4.

1. How can anyone be really sure of anything? How do you know what you know?
2. What evidence does the author site for his belief in Jesus Christ? Which of the five senses does he employ? Why do you suppose that is important for the writer?
3. According to the author, how are fellowship within the Christian community and belief in Jesus Chrsit related? How important is it to have Jesus Christ at the center? From your own experience, what happens when other things take center stage in a Christian fellowship? What is your personal definition of a core belief issue about Jesus?

BONUS QUESTION: Read the Gospel of John 1:1-14. What similar themes do you note from that prologue with the prologue of 1 John 1:1-4?

Ezekiel's River

In Ezekiel chapter 47, the prophet sees a vision of water streaming from the Jerusalem Temple toward the Dead Sea. What begins as a trickle turns into a teaming river. As the river flows it brings life to everything in its path. The Dead Sea and its barren shores are transformed into lush vegetation and vibrant sea life. All this is so “because the water for them flows from the sanctuary.” (Ezekiel 47:12).

When the flow of our daily lives begin with the Spirit’s power in Jesus Christ, God brings dead things to life all around us. “Empower every life” means we are plugged in to the Holy Spirit’s power so God can use us to “Engage every neighborhood” with Kingdom life.

Why Bother with Weekly Worship?

A year ago in January I offered a congregation-wide challenge for each person to attend worship all 52 weekends in 2014. We installed a “52 Weekends of Worship” wall in Philadelphia Hall where you posted bulletins and programs from churches where you worshipped. The challenge was not necessarily to attend every weekend at CLPC, but to seek out worshipping community wherever you are.

Many of you took this challenge to heart! You posted && bulletins on our board. There are countless stories of folks going out of their way to worship. One business traveler arrived in Singapore at 6:00 a.m. after an all-night flight and made it to a 9:00 a.m. worship service at Orchard Road Presbyterian Church.  Another couple attended worship at the George R. Brown Center prior to the Houston Marathon. The group from our church traveling to Israel worshipped at the Western Wall in Jerusalem as Jews celebrated the beginning of Shabbat.

Corporate worship is more than a personal “spiritual boost” for the week. It is a key soul-training rhythm of the Christian life. In corporate worship we are reminded of God’s story of redemption – a story that counteracts the petty narratives of greed in our culture. In corporate worship we receive God’s attention and give him ours as we pray, sing, make offering, and confess our sins and receive pardon. While we can, and should, worship individually. Something greater occurs than the sum of the parts, for God and for us, when we worship together. 

Christmas isn't over yet!

Did you know Christmas is not over? We often confuse the weeks of Advent with Christmas. Advent, however, is preparation for Christmas. After December 25, Christmas lasts twelve more days! As a cultural tradition, Christmas is increasingly driven by economic opportunity but Jesus followers can gently push back. In contrast to retailers who begin dismantling Christmas displays on December 24 (we saw workers at the local hardware store taking down decorations last Tuesday afternoon) we might consider leaving our decorations out at home until January 6. Who knows what faith conversations might spark by following a different Christmas rhythm than the world around us?

Some of us

A couple of folks asked for a copy of the bidding prayer I wrote for worship this weekend. Here ya go!

Some of us are worried… we need your promises

Some of us are busy… we need your peace

Some of us are tired… we need your rest

Some of us are distracted… we need your vision

Some of us are broken… we need your healing

Some of us are stuck… we need your way out

Some of us are lonely… we need your love

Some of us are joyful… we give you praise

Some of us are thankful… we give you honor

Some of us are glad… we give you glory

Some of us are relieved… we give you blessing

All of us are yours… we give you ourselves

~Steve Oglesbee, October 20, 2013

Speaking Truth in Love

"Embracing every person," the first of our e³ mission statement, means we relate to one another in healthy, whole, and Christ-honoring ways. We aspire to relational maturity which the Apostle Paul refers to in part as, "speaking the truth in love." (Ephesians 4:15). But what does "speaking the truth in love" look like? I have an example from the other day.

A fellow staff member stepped into my office and asked to talk with me for a moment. They went on to share about something I had said the day before in a larger gathering. I had conveyed a negative message to the group I had not intended. I didn't react very well to the feedback. I was defensive and pushed back, "but what I really meant was…" Then, after listening a little more I started feeling embarrassed.  I thought to myself, "Oh, man! I should've known better. What was I thinking?!"

As the sting wore off I realized this person had offered me the gift of "speaking the truth in love." Their feedback had three characteristics that we all could practice as we seek to live in healthy relationship.

First, the feedback was timely. Notice, I didn't say the feedback was immediate. This was not impulsive truth-speaking. It came a full 24 hours after the event took place. Enough time had passed for me to know this truth-speaking was thoughtful and prayerful, not impulsive. At the same time, the feedback came soon enough that the event was still fresh in my mind. This person loved me enough to wait. And they loved me enough not to procrastinate.

Second, the feedback was to the point. There was minimal prologue to the central message. They just got right to the point rather than beat around the bush not wanting me to "take this the wrong way." Truth-speaking that's to the point respects the person's dignity and allows freedom to respond to the content of the message.

Third, the feedback was in-person.  It wasn't a text message. It wasn't an email. This person walked in my office stared me in the eye and told me the truth. Perhaps one of the most counter-cultural ways we can live out our calling to "embrace every person" is to pick up the phone or meet in person. Rather than relying on electronic communication, let's deal with one another face-to-face in our truth-speaking.

Is the Holy Spirit nagging you to speak truth in love to a friend, family member, or co-worker? Be timely about it. Practice the 24 hour rule. Hold the message in prayer. Ask God to purify your motives. Be to the point. If God has something for you to say, don't put it off. Get to the point without beating around the bush.  Be in face-to-face. As much as is possible deliver the message in person. Timeliness may require some other form of communication at first, but follow up with a phone call or a personal visit.

The Apostle Paul promises that "speaking the truth in love" helps us "grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." (Ephesians 4:15). This is what we're striving for. Maturity in Christ is the goal.