Monday 24 September 2018

24/9/18 TREASURE BLOG 3 - TRUE TREASURE EMPOWERS, FALSE TREASURE STEALS (COLOSSIANS 1:4-5)

11:51 Posted by Matthew Beaney No comments


THIS BLOG CONTAINS:
COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY 3
COLOSSIANS 1:4-5 TRUE TREASURE EMPOWERS, FALSE TREASURE STEALS FROM US
I don’t know if you’ve ever used a diving board at a swimming pool - it is both fun and scary. The experts make it look easy as they effortlessly glide through the air. But you and I try it, assuming you are like me, and we realise that a ‘spring board’ has great power to catapult to glory or, as is mostly likely, a belly flop of shame and pain! Paul speaks of the power of hope – true hope is like a powerful spring-board that will empower us to feats of faith and love. 
Read Colossians 1:4-5
·      What does faith and love spring from according to Paul? 
·      Our hope as Christians is of going to heaven and, ultimately, of a renewed heaven and earth in which we will live in renewed bodies. Read Revelation 21:3-4 for a beautiful description. 
·      What two specific things are said (1:5) to spring from our hope, and why do you think this is the case?
·      This presents us with a great promise and principle. What will happen to you, your church, your Community Group as you think and thank God for your hope in Christ, and how can you go about doing this more? 
·      True treasure – our hope in Christ, will empower and build a healthy church community. However, there is fake treasure that promises much but only robs us. The Colossian false teachers, whatever they were teaching, were distracting this church from the gospel. Paul was trying to protect them from ‘hollow and deceptive philosophy’ (2:8) Everything is hollow if it misses Christ. What are the kinds of hopes and treasures that one can seek but rob us of spiritual vitality? 
Response
There are a number of ways that we can grow in our appreciation of our hope in Christ. What does Ephesians 1:18 teach about the importance of our prayer in learning about hope? 
Take a moment to pray for one another and endeavour to spend some time this week looking at what God’s word teaches about our hope in Christ. 

    DAILY DEVOTIONAL WEEK 3
    COLOSSIANS 1:4-5 TRUE TREASURE EMPOWERS, FALSE TREASURE STEALS FROM US
    MONDAY – THE GOSPEL OFFERS US THE TREASURE OF HOPE 
    Colossians 1:3-5We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people –  the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 
    Christianity and religion more widely is often seen as something that takes from us. It steals our freedom, money, time, joy. Jesus, they assumes, wants to lock us up into a regime of behaviour that is driven by guilt and shame. It would be wrong to say that Christianity doesn’t demand from us. Jesus asks for everything from us, 
    Matthew 16:24-26“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.  What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
    Many things, however, also demand from us: buying a new car, getting married, having children, doing a job, education, cooking a meal…Many things in life involve sacrificing now for a greater return. Unfortunately, none of the things for which we sacrifice really give us what we are looking for – hope. For Christians, ‘hope’, in essence, is about the joy of being fully with God. It’s heaven, but it’s also the restored new heavens and earth that will be realised when Jesus’ returns. 
    As Jesus says, this hope demands everything from us. To become a Christian means asking Jesus to be Lord and Saviour. As we invest ourselves in true treasure and ‘take up our cross and follow Him…’ we are actually enriched and find the true treasure of knowing God now and the future hope of glory. 
    RESPONSE
    Have you made Jesus the Lord of your life? Have you brought all that you have and are under His Lordship? Are you prepared do do anything He says to you in His word? How does knowing that true treasure lies in doing this (giving everything) help us to do this? 

    TUESDAY – HOPE IS TREASURE THAT INSPIRES FAITH
    Colossians 1:3-5We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people –  the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 
    Maybe you know the experience of, in light of an upcoming holiday, being inspired to get so much more finished than on a normal day. The ‘hope’ of the holiday inspires faith which leads to action: we get tasks finished, get prepared, get packed, get up really early, travel massive distances – we sacrifice a lot because we have ‘hope’ that the holiday is worth it. 
    In a similar way, the Christian hope of heaven and the restoration of all things will inspire faith – a quality of believing that leads to action. Hope will inspire all kinds of acts of faith but Paul says, specifically, that the faith that springs from hope is ‘faith in the Lord Jesus Christ’. To go back to our holiday analogy, to get to the hope of the holiday destination, one must put one’s faith in the plane – only in the plane is holiday-hope found. Likewise, only in Christ is hope of heaven and future glory found. Paul says that this hope was in ‘the true message of the gospel’ (1:5b). The hope of heaven and glory is offered through Christ in the gospel; and as we continue to be inspired by our glorious hope, this in turn causes our faith in Christ to go deeper – He is the ‘passport’ to that hope! 
    RESPONSE
    If we lose a vision of our true, future hope, our faith and love for Christ will wither. After all you don’t really need Christ for any of the treasures that are most people’s hopes and dreams. Is your hope in the right place – in Christ for heaven and glory or has something else filled your vision. What can you do to refocus on true hope? 

    WEDNESDAY – HOPE IS TREASURE THAT INSPIRES LOVE 
    Colossians 1:3-5We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people –  the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 
    Why do we love the people that we love – why do we sacrifice time, money, concern… on some people? It is because we believe that they are worth it in some way. No one sacrifices themselves for the good of another without a reason! Our reasons maybe more or less admirable, but there is always a reason why we spend ourselves on another. What is true love? Jesus says,
    John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 
    True love is defined by the gospel. It’s laying our lives down for the good of another, and even those who don’t deserve it! How does love spring from hope? 
    Love springs from hope because:
    ·     Love is a fruit of the gospel – loving others is always a result of someone becoming a Christian.
    ·     We know that the church are our brothers and sisters, loved by God, sharing the same eternal hope. Seeing one another in this light causes us to love His church.
    ·     A focus on the true hope (heaven and future glory) will cause us to stop wasting our lives on lesser hopes – an earthbound existence.  It free us to give our lives to what is valuable in God’s sight and this included the people of God. 
    ·     We see that Christ gave His life for us and His church for this hope, thus inspiring Christ-like love in ourselves. 

    RESPONSE
    Consider, meditate on, pray into the example of Moses as he loved God and His people because he had a future hope – What does God have to say to you?
    Hebrews 11:24-26By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

     THURSDAY – THE DEVIL STEALS, KILLS AND DESTROYS
    John 10:10-11The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
    If you go to many coastal areas, you will often see boats on trailers, mud banks, drives… that seem to have been left to rot. I guess that someone decided that they needed a boat for the dream life only to find that it demanded too much from them! The devil has a mission to ‘steal, kill and destroy’. His goal is to do whatever is necessary to cause us to invest in fake treasure, to sink our time and talents into things that, whilst promising much, only steal from us. 
    The devil will offer ‘true joy’ by avoiding God’s will. We see an example of this in the life of Jesus,
    Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’
    He wants us to invest in dross; he says to us, “you need that ungodly relationship… that bigger house…that faster car…that better job… more money…you would be happier without the church and without Christ…”
    In our reading from John 10 today, we see that Jesus is the ‘good shepherd’. Unlike the ‘thief’, He has the wellbeing of the sheep at heart. In Psalm 23 we read of the abundance that comes to us as we invest ourselves in Jesus, 
    ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul… You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’
    RESPONSE
    Is the Holy Spirit highlighting any area of your life where you know you are living in disobedience to God’s will? It’s time to stop investing in lies! Make it a habit to pray for protection against the evil one as Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:13. 

    FRIDAY – SIGNS OF DEVOTION TO FALSE TREASURE
    Colossians 1:3-5We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people –  the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 
    True treasure is knowing Jesus. As we invest ourselves in Him, He gives us infinitely more; He gives us Himself now and in the hope of eternity. Today I want us to see that if faith and love spring from hope, the opposite is also true: as we invest our lives in false treasure this will cultivate weeds in our lives. 
    Weed 1 - Lack of faith in Christ - If we invest our lives in things that don’t require Jesus, we won’t need Jesus! Heaven and eternal hope require Jesus. Only His death for sin get’s you there. Seeing this hope, our faith in Christ blossoms. 
    Weed 2 - Lack of faith for life - If we are seeking to achieve things that you can do with a fair wind and some application, you won’t need Jesus. Why pray when you can do it? Seeing our hope and wanting to stand before Him having done all we can, we will seek Him to lead us into His works of faith. 
    Weed 3 - Lack of love for God’s people - Investing is false treasure will result in lack of devotion to God’s people – “I will only lay my life down for the good of others if I’m not busy giving my life for myself!” We can also live for the good of others in a wrong way as described in 1 Corinthians 13. Loveless sacrifice is also seeking a wrong treasure: admiration, inner satisfaction, peace through self-righteousness etc. This may appease our conscience and may please people but it’s not the love-filled life that God requires. 
    Weed 4 - Lack of love for people generally – Focussing on our hope sets a backdrop to our lives and we see the world in desperate darkness and need for the gospel. If we make status, respect, comfort our treasure, our desire to bring the hope of the gospel into people’s lives will wither. 
    RESPONSE
    Hope is the weed killer! As we choose to view eternal realities it kills the roots of faithlessness and lovelessness. Meditate and pray out of what Peter tells us,
    1 Peter 1:13Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

    Monday 17 September 2018

    17/9/18 TREASURE BLOG 2 - PRAY ABOUT WHAT YOU TREASURE (COLOSSIANS 1:3)

    09:01 Posted by Matthew Beaney No comments

    THIS BLOG CONTAINS:

    COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY 2
    COLOSSIANS 1:3 PRAY ABOUT WHAT YOU TREASURE
    In the story of scrooge by Charles Dickens, we see a man obsessed with his treasure – his money. We have the enduring image of him counting his money into huge coin towers. If you know the story he has to undergo a night of meeting various ghosts and seeing various visions in order for him to change what he is treasuring- from money to kindness. 
    What you treasure will be on your mind and be the focus of your life – you will constantly ‘count it’. It is a great thing when we make God’s treasures our treasure and devote ourselves to counting, admiring and wanting more of (in other words praying for) things of true worth. 
    Read Colossians 1:3
    ·      What are the 2 main things that Paul ‘treasures’ (gives thanks for) in 1:4?
    ·      Thinking of any local church, what are the things that God loves to see among them and how regularly do you look for and give thanks for such things?
    ·      Who does Paul treasure in 1:3 and how much of your praying is devoted to worship? 
    ·      Paul is always praying for them; what does this say about the importance of prayer in order to see the church and Jesus’ mission flourishing? 
    ·      What does Colossians 4:12 say about how to, and the effects of prayer?
    ·      How prominent was thankfulness in Paul’s prayers and why is this important? (See Ephesians 1:15-16)
    ·      Colossians 4:2 tells us to be ‘watchful and thankful’. Are you more inclined to be watchful – looking for dangers, or thankful – looking for what God is doing, and why is this balance important for spiritual health? 
    ·      Paul usually addresses God as Father in His prayers as does Jesus (See Matthew 6:9) Why is this a helpful habit? 
    ·      Paul is diligent to include Jesus. Only through Him is one at peace with God and able to pray. How are you doing at including the gospel in your prayers? 
    Response
    We are learning to pray throughout our lives. It’s important to pray the bible which is God’s word and it stops us falling into ruts of praying the same things with the same language. Over the next week use biblical prayers as a guide for your devotions, they will help you to see what God treasures and how to pray in that. Here are a few examples:  Col. 1:9-14, 4:2-4;Rom. 15:13; Eph. 1:15-17, 3:14-21, 6:19-20; Phil. 1:9–11;1 Thess. 3:9–13; 2 Thess. 1:11-12. 
    Pray and worship as a group. Perhaps you would like to use one of these biblical prayers as inspiration 


    DAILY DEVOTIONAL WEEK 2
    COLOSSIANS 1:3 PRAY ABOUT WHAT YOU TREASURE
    This week we will look at some examples of biblical prayers and use these to teach us how to see what God treasures and to pray effectively. 
    MONDAY – PRAY ABOUT THE TREASURE OF GOD CHOOSING US
    The grace of God does not just extend to Him giving us His Son to die for us. It also extends to His choosing us in eternity past. The teaching of divine election is mysterious, but, ultimately, is to be a source of amazed worship; that the holy God should have chosen us by His grace alone! This is the kind to thing that we see in biblical prayers and is to be a regular feature of our worship. 
    Use these prayers, restating it in terms of what God has done for you (I’ve added a few prompts in brackets to the first text to get you started). Allow the Spirit to inspire you in any direction that He wants to guide.  
    John 17:9-11I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me (“thank you Father for choosing me and giving me to Christ…”), for they are yours (“thank you I’m your possession…”).  All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them (“ My salvation brings you glory…I pray that my life would bring you glory…”. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name (Father, thank you for your protection…”, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one (Bless my church with unity…bless your church in this nation…”). 
    Ephesians 1:3-8Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love hepredestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,
    RESPONSE
    Let’s treasure that God chose us. Let’s continually look on the beauty of this truth in prayer. 

    TUESDAY –  TREASURE NEW LIFE
    This week we are looking at some examples of biblical prayers and using these to teach us how to see what God treasures and to pray effectively.
    New life or regeneration is the hidden work of God’s Spirit in our souls that imparts new spiritual life. This life will be evidenced by our faith in Christ and desire to follow Him. How does one get this new life? The biblical answer is that it is the gift of God that comes to those who are dead in sin. Any other answer such as, “I put my faith in Christ and so He gave me new life” gives us some credit for our salvation and sets us as more righteous than other people. Let’s learn to treasure and praise God for our own and pray for others to have new life. 
    Use these prayers, restating them in terms of what God has done for you (I’ve added a few prompts to the first text to get you started. 
    Ephesians 2:1-7As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath (“Father thank you for your mercy even though I was once far from you….”).  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved (“I thank you for new life…you broke in by your power…”.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (“My salvation is, and will be eternally, to the glory of your grace…”)
    Philippians 1:3-6I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
    Note – God has begun a good work in us. This work is our salvation and regeneration and by His Spirit. 
    RESPONSE
    Let’s treasure that God has given us new life. Let’s continually look on the beauty of this truth in prayer. 

    WEDNESDAY – THE TREASURE OF GOD’S PRESENCE AND POWER
    Our culture tells us that we can live the successful life if we are disciplined and aim for the right goals. Even Christians can be tempted to put faith in effort, style and pop-phycology rather than God’s word and the promise of His presence and power; the truth is, without Him we can do nothing! Let’s treasure, through prayer, His promise. Use these prayers, restating it in terms of what God has done for you (I’ve added a few prompts to the first text to get you started). 
    Exodus 33:15-16Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here (Holy Spirit, I can do nothing without you…”). How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” (“Holy Spirit, it’s you that makes us different for any other group…”)
    Romans 15:13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
    Ephesians 3:14-21For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
    Philippians 4:5-7The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
    RESPONSE 
    Let’s treasure the Spirit. Let’s make it a habit to depend upon Him in prayer. 

    THURSDAY – THE TREASURE OF GOD’S PEOPLE
    This week we are looking at some examples of biblical prayers and using these to teach us how to see what God treasures and to pray effectively.
    The book of Colossians shows us how much the people of God are to be treasured. Paul says that they are ‘God’s holy people…faithful brothers and sister…God is their Father…’ He says that ‘We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people’; Paul treasured the people of God and he loved to see the church taking on God’s loving attitude toward one another. Let’s join God in treasuring the church in our prayers. Use these prayers, restating them in terms of what God has done for you (I’ve added a few prompts to the first text to get you started). 
    I include this interesting first text that is spoken by an enemy of God’s people, but when the Spirit comes we speak of the beauty of God’s church. 
    Numbers 24:2-8When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him and he spoke his message…“How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel! (“You love your church, she is beautiful in your sight, Holy spirit give me a vision for your people…” “Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, (I thank you Holy Spirit, you are like a river running through your people…” like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water (“Holy Spirit, it’s you that makes us fruitful come an flow into our lives…”). “Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. (“Lord Jesus, you are the Lord of Lord to whom this text points I praise you…”) 
    1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual houseto be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
    RESPONSE 
    Let’s treasure God’s people by praying for them with thanks. Love is shown and grown as we pray for our brothers and sisters.  

    FRIDAY – THE TREASURE OF GODS’ MISSION
    Someone’s last words point to what’s important to them. Jesus’ last words on earth are a commission to His mission. Jesus came into the world to die for sinners, and this is His primary work in these last days. If one is ill, we treasure the medicine that will help; if we understand the plight of those without Christ we will treasure the mission that God sends us on to seek and save the lost. 
    Matthew 9:36-38When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
    Use these questions to help you to meditate on this passage and then to pray:
    ·     What was Jesus’ attitude to the crowds?
    ·     What didn’t they have that they needed?
    ·     Jesus uses two metaphors to speak of his mission – shepherding and harvesting. How do each help us to understand the mission of the church? 
    ·     What are we to ask for and why are their so few? 
    ·     Now pray out of your meditations. 
    Romans 10:13-15“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
    Use these questions to help you to meditate on this passage and then to pray:
    ·     Who needs salvation and how is this achieved?
    ·     What is God’s normal means of spreading the gospel?
    ·     What is beautiful in God’s sight? 
    ·     Now pray out of your meditations. 
    We pray about what we treasure, and what we pray about becomes our treasure also. Most of us feel that we are not very good at sharing our faith. Don’t be disheartened, start praying and we’ll all be surprised at what He does through us. 
    RESPONSE 
    Evangelism is hard and so we need to God’s grace through prayer. Write a list of friends who, as yet, don’t believe. Commit to praying for them every day. 

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