READ IT! - B|Neighbors - Titus 2:1–8, Romans 16:13, Mark 15:21, John 13:34-35, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 2 Timothy 2:22-26, Titus 2:6-8

Here are this week's scriptures for our B|Neighbors sermon series...

Titus 2:1-8 (NIV)
"You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older mento be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderersor addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.


Romans 16:13 (NIV)
13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.


Mark 15:21 (NIV)
21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.


John 13:34-35 (NIV)
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”


2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.


2 Timothy 2:22-26 (NIV)
22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.


Titus 2:6-8 (NIV)
6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Living on Mission – B|Admonishers

Living on Mission – B|Admonishers

Admonish: to warn or reprimand someone firmly, to advise or urge (someone) earnestly.

“I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach (admonish) each other all about them. Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder… Dear brothers and sisters, I urge (admonish) you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:14, 15, 30)

I dare you to look up the phrase “I urge you” on BibleGateway.com. How many references offer advice or a reminder to someone to do the right thing – a thing they already know they should do?

Is it a missional practice to admonish someone? Absolutely! We are each individual members of one body. I need you to love people, to do the right thing, and to stay tight with Jesus. And you need me to do the same. If we’re not all doing what we should, our shared mission could suffer. We have too much good news to share with folks who don’t know Him yet. We need to help each other stay on track.

Who among us doesn’t need a little prodding now and then to do what we know we ought to do?

Let’s practice Living on Mission and B|Admonishers – urging one another to do what we need to do. Love God. Love people!

Pastor Angela

PRAY IT!!! B|Neighbors

When I was in junior high, I was stubbornly engaged in a lawn mowing battle with our next door neighbor (who was, indeed, a middle-aged man).  We had a mutual alley in between our houses that was quite grassy.  I mowed half of it, leaving the other half for him.  It seemed like the common sense action.  Later, I saw that he had mowed EXACTLY two lawn-mower widths worth of grass.  No more, no less.  Even though I had clearly mowed half, he would not take the additional sweep with the mower and remove this last lingering strip of grass (because it exceeded the boundaries of his two-passes-only plan).  Irritated, I too, refused to mow it.  We didn’t talk about it.  It rained.  It grew.  We mowed (but not that strip).  We didn’t talk about it.  It rained.  It grew.  There’s now an Illinois conservation/preservation area in between those two houses where birds and other wildlife take refuge.  (Just kidding).

This week we have been continuing on in our B|Neighbors sermon series, praying to have our lives intersect with people while we stay tight with Jesus.  Last week’s charge was to B|Encouragers… this week, it is to B|Admonishers.  Gulp!  Admonish?!  Isn’t that a dirty word?!

I don’t like confrontation.  It makes me uncomfortable.  I don't want to mow someone over.  And, with the culture that we live in, I’m tempted to think that it is more loving to avoid admonishment (it’s a word!) altogether and let whatever grass may grow, grow.  That’s the loving response, right?  The kind-hearted response, right? 

The loving response has been, is right now, and forever will be Jesus.  And sometimes, He is going to call us to admonish and to engage in the tough conversation.  "The grass is not cute.  The grass stopped being a statement 3 feet ago.  Mow it down already!"

As we have been studying, we look to Galatians 2 as one example, where Paul admonishes Peter.  Here it is, from The Message version, for your viewing pleasure:

^11-13 Later, when Peter came to Antioch, I had a face-to-face confrontation with him because he was clearly out of line. Here’s the situation. Earlier, before certain persons had come from James, Peter regularly ate with the non-Jews. But when that conservative group came from Jerusalem, he cautiously pulled back and put as much distance as he could manage between himself and his non-Jewish friends. That’s how fearful he was of the conservative Jewish clique that’s been pushing the old system of circumcision. Unfortunately, the rest of the Jews in the Antioch church joined in that hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was swept along in the charade.

¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not maintaining a steady, straight course according to the Message, I spoke up to Peter in front of them all: “If you, a Jew, live like a non-Jew when you’re not being observed by the watchdogs from Jerusalem, what right do you have to require non-Jews to conform to Jewish customs just to make a favorable impression on your old Jerusalem cronies?”

We need to pray this week for courage and obedience.  We need to stay tight with Jesus.  We need to truly love people (hence, we need to stay tight with Jesus!)  Jesus-prompted and Jesus-led admonishment is the goal, never to simply mow someone over for fun.

Dear Jesus,

Please help me remain tight with You.  Please guide and direct me, as well as strengthen and encourage me to obey when You prompt me to have tough conversations.  Please provide continued discernment.  Please also help me humbly receive admonishment and to remember to see this as the wise decision.

Amen.

Join us tonight, for PoC|Coverage at 6pm.  Let’s get our pray on together!

Pastor Celia

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “B|Admonishers”

Supplies: Bible

SHARE 

If you aren’t already, sit with your family in a circle.  (Around the living room or kitchen table is fine; no one has to get on the floor.)  Study the person on your right.  Think of two things you really like about them or things you’re thankful for.  Now think of something you wish would change.  Maybe something they could do better or a trait they need to work on.  Now go around the room and share your thoughts in this order: compliment—criticism—compliment.  

Which was easier to say?  Which was easiest to hear?  Most of us are uncomfortable correcting others.  Was it easier to say the criticism or to hear it said to you?  We don’t like to be corrected by others, but sometimes it can be even more difficult to do the correcting, especially when that person is someone we like and respect.

READ

Someone read Galatians 2:11-14 and see how Paul handled a time when he disagreed with a lead disciple.

THINK

Paul had a hard time getting traction among the disciples after his conversion, but thanks to Barnabas, he finally started to feel welcomed by them.  He and Barnabas went to Antioch to build the church in that town, and at some point during their tenure, Peter came to visit and check up on them.  Paul shares in his letter to the Galatians that while Peter was with them, Paul noticed that Peter was acting in a way that Paul thought was wrong.  Now, this is Peter.  Peter!  One of Jesus’ closest friends.  The guy who walked on water and “on whom Jesus will build his church.”  THAT Peter.  But Paul still knows that Peter is not treating some people the way Jesus would want.  Basically, Peter’s being a little two-faced.

Paul has a choice.  He can dismiss his thoughts and keep the peace, or he can risk rocking the boat and share his impression in the hopes that Peter will respond well.  It’d be so much easier just to keep quiet.  After all, Peter’s a leader in the church.  He’s been walking with Jesus a LOT longer than Paul has.  He knows what he’s doing, right?  How many times have we had the same kind of conversation with ourselves, trying to talk ourselves out of an uncomfortable “accountability” conversation with someone we know isn’t acting Christlike.  But Paul shows us that, when it comes to growing in our faith, when it comes to holy living, part of being a part of the family of God means we have those hard conversations.  In love and humility, we admonish other believers when led by the Holy Spirit.

APPLY

Is there someone you know who needs to be corrected?  Perhaps you’ve noticed some un-Jesus attitudes or behaviors in a friend or a family member.  Take time to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in how to share that impression with him or her.  It can be hard, especially if it’s a good friend.  But being a good “neighbor” means we correct those we love to help them grow even closer to Jesus.  End your time together praying that the Holy Spirit would help your family members be loving correctors when necessary.

PRAY

Dear God, you loved me in my sin.  Even though I was way off base, you sent your Son to rescue me.  Your Holy Spirit continues to help me grow and overcome the sinful choices in my life.  Thank you, Father.  Would you help me have the courage to correct another believer, in the same loving way you correct me?  Lead to me help others draw closer to you. In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen

REPLY

Did you and your family enjoy this devotional blog?  We'd love to know about it!  Our hope is to continue providing this weekly opportunity for families to do a devotion together.  If your family did this devotion, please shoot us an email, text or just post a comment to this blog.

EXPLORE IT - Galatians 2:11-14

Galatians 2:11-14  When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.  ¹² Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.  ¹³ The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.  ¹⁴ When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

Dissention within “The Church” today can be rampant at times.  Different denominations and even different congregations within a denomination may hold to certain beliefs or traditions that contrast with one another.  Some churches baptize infants while others only baptize older, professing believers.  Some congregations participate in Communion every week, while others rarely do so.  Some worship services include bands with guitars and drums, while others choose to sing without any instruments.  These differences by themselves are not a concern.  The challenges come when those who come from different backgrounds come together and disagree and create conflict.  Sometimes, because of this conflict, believers taint the message of the Gospel, inhibiting those outside the church to come to Christ.

In our passage this week, Paul confronts Peter about the dissention he is creating within the church.  The early church had recognized a difference between ministry to the Jews and to the Gentiles.  They allowed the Jews to continue their traditional Jewish practices while believing in Jesus as Lord.  Ministry to the Gentiles did not force them to following Jewish practices as they came to believe in Jesus for their salvation.  The challenge came when these two principles came into conflict.

Table fellowship brought this conflict into play.  If a Jewish Christian sat down for a meal with a Gentile Christian, he would be vulnerable to violation of the ceremonial food laws, but if he refused to eat with them, it would conflict with the principle of not requiring Gentile Christians to follow Jewish practices.  It seems the solution to this challenge was left up to the individual’s conscience.  Initially, Peter had no problem eating with the Gentiles, but then when a new group of Jewish Christians arrived, instead of educating them to the situation at hand, Peter folded under pressure and stopped eating with the Gentile Christians. 

Paul admonished Peter because he had forgotten what our salvation is founded upon.  Our foundation is not the law or tradition, our foundation is Jesus.  We, like Peter, have to remember it’s all about Jesus.  When we find ourselves disagreeing about the color of carpet to put in the sanctuary or how we should decorate for the Christmas Season, we must remember it’s all about Jesus.  I am a big believer in inter-denominational and cross-denominational ministry because it’s all about Jesus.  If we as a world-wide community of believers could put our differences aside and focuse on the Gospel message of Jesus, we could make an impact beyond our imaginations.

Blessings,
Pastor Amy