Mystery Revealed
Do you enjoy a good mystery novel? After the characters and setting are established, the author creates an intriguing hook to keep us reading. The plot thickens and we become engaged in trying to figure out the solution. Eventually the case is solved and with it comes clarity and resolve.
Unlike a novel, the mysteries that Paul speaks of in Ephesians are not figured out, but rather made known to him through revelation. What was once hidden is now revealed; the secret mystery disclosed. In Ephesians 1:9, Paul tells us that God has “made known the mystery of his will.” In chapter 3 he speaks of the “mystery of Christ” being revealed by the Holy Spirit, expressing “that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” In Chapter 6, Paul asks the Ephesians to pray for him such that “words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”
What then, is the mystery spoken of in chapter 5? The pronouncement of the looming mystery is revealed in verse 32: “This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church.” Christ’s commitment to the church is an expression of his deep love. Verse 33 goes on to say, “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” By example, this is the love that God is directing husbands to give to their wives. Likewise, wives are to receive and return love and honor to their husbands. As a wife is to her husband, so the church is to Christ. Marriage is a reflection of the magnificent mystery of union between Christ and his church, completely unknown prior to Jesus.
So then, this model of Christ’s way of expressing devoted love toward the church is one that a husband and wife ought to replicate; and when they do, just think of the implications: Christ is lifted up, the church is loved, marriage is highly esteemed, and this testimony of love and commitment is portrayed for the world to see. In addition to the richness of total devotion, a selfless marriage can be a testimony of God’s amazing love!
If you are married, is your marriage one that models after the example of how Christ loves the church? Do you love and honor your spouse knowing that this is God’s best for you? Ask God how you can encourage your spouse today. If you are not married, are you seeking God’s best in your relationships? Do you look for opportunities to build others up or do you see others as a way of helping you feel good about yourself? The mystery has been revealed. Go walk in Christ’s love!
By Lynette Fuson
Director of Women’s Ministry
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Washing With the Word
One of my favorite Bible College professors, Dr. Don Pickerill, taught that marriage is the “spot remover” of the body of Christ. As I was not yet married, this puzzled me. However, later in life I began to understand how the spots, blemishes and wrinkles are removed-by the washing with water through the word. What makes this practically powerful is the word that Paul uses for “word”. He uses the Greek word, “rhema”.
Rhema differs from Logos in that it is spoken directly to an individual, rather than written. We derive our word, “rhetoric” from this Greek word. How do we husbands wash away the stains, blemishes and wrinkles from our wives? There are several ways.
First and foremost, a good husband is a good listener. He must practice the art of patience and attentive listening to more than her words. A good husband will be aware of the non-verbal que, such as her facial expression, posture, voice, attitude, emotions and language. Many of us immediately want to rush in to “fix” the problem. We skip a few vital steps in doing that. Patient listening is one of them. If I as a husband am going to carefully and patiently “wash” the spots and blemishes from my wife I must first discern if I was the one who caused the blemish or wrinkle in the first place. Asking for and giving forgiveness is one of the vital characteristics that helps make a marriage strong and healthy. It is quite easy to forget this need, especially if we’ve been married a long time. We need to stay current with our spouse. Often the question, “How was your day, honey?” is a good starter.
Besides attentive listening, kindness and encouragement are wonderful cleansers. How often do we take the opportunity to encourage or to thank our wives? Proverbs 25:11 teaches that “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” She may be waiting for a kind and encouraging word from you today. And we all need attitude adjustments from time to time. A timely challenge or correction may be encouraging when spoken in love.
Chip Whitman
Pastor of Care & Counseling
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A New Kind of Love
The context of this phrase is Paul’s instruction to husbands. This is how husbands are to love their wives. Have you ever wondered why Paul tells the husbands to love their wives, but he doesn’t tell the wives to love their husbands? Does love come more naturally to women? I don’t think that is what he is saying, and if you talk to my wife, she will agree that husbands are not necessarily easier to love. What I do know is that if a husband and a wife don’t both love each other, then a marriage won’t work.
Clearly, we would all say that mutual love is the glue that holds marriages together. That isn’t necessarily groundbreaking news. What is groundbreaking is the way that we are to love. We are to love each other “just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” If you are married, this is the way you love your spouse. Not just with feelings, nice words, or the occasional bouquet of flowers. You are called to love your spouse in a sacrificial, self-giving, for-the-sake-of-others sort of way… the way that Jesus served. I’m talking about Jesus who washed his disciples’ feet. I’m talking about the one who literally died for us. This is how spouses are supposed to love each other.
If I can sum up this type of love in one word it would be a love that serves. So, for all those married people out there, I have a challenge for you. It is not just to serve the other, it is to out-serve the other. If you are a husband, try to out-serve your wife. If you are a wife, try to out-serve your husband. And yes, I want you to make it a competition. And yes, I want you to do whatever it takes to win! The great thing about this competition, is that if you both try, you will both win, even when you lose. Of course, this type of love is not just for those in a marriage relationship. It is the love that we are all to have for one another. But the source of this love comes from Jesus. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). So, let this flow not out of your own strength, but out of the strength of Jesus’ love for you.
In order to build up the muscles to go and lovingly serve someone else today, spend some time just sitting in the love of Jesus. Remember that Jesus serves you. Remember that Jesus loves you. Now go and do likewise.
By Josh Rose
Pastor of Adult Ministries
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Leading and Loving Like Christ
Much has been made of these verses. Over the years, people have pulled out verse 22 and tried to have it stand on its own. But as with any Bible verse, it’s important to look at the context. In this case, what’s the verse right before the infamous “wives submit?” It’s the all-inclusive “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” So, it’s not just the wife submitting to her husband, but we’re called to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Then look at the verse to follow “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.” Christ led by love. He washed his disciples filthy — and, yes, stinky — feet. He fed them. He prayed for them. He spent time with them. And he died on the cross for them. If a husband is truly loving his wife as the church, that servant leadership is the picture of Christ’s love for the church. And when a husband is loving his wife as Christ — the one who loves unconditionally — then submitting is not a burden, because as Phil 2 says, each one is looking out for the other.
At the center of this is mutual trust, love, respect, encouragement, appreciation and understanding that each one of us was handcrafted by God for a good purpose. That Christ-like love desires to see the other person live out God’s good purpose in the other’s life. There’s an appreciation for the other person’s giftings and a desire to see the spouse live out God’s call in his/her life — not control it.
Sometimes the call for wifely submission is incorrectly seen as the husband’s permission to control her. That is not the intent here. The purpose is to use marriage as an illustration of the church’s relationship to a loving Christ. Christ is not demanding, narcissistic or controlling. He invites us into a relationship with Him. He encourages us to use our gifts to enhance His kingdom. He desires to spend time with us. He brings peace and joy into our lives.
Lord, as Philippians 2:3-5 says, help me to not do anything as selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above myself, not looking to my own interests but to the interests of the others. In my relationships with one another, help me have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.
By Cyndie de Neve
Senior Creative Director
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"Mutuality"
I can remember standing before Kelly Hester on June 1, 2002, committing to love her and care for her for my whole life. On that day, marriage felt like bliss. It was hard to imagine that we’d ever have a fight or a disagreement; but then real-life set in. We’ve both found out that marriage isn’t easy. It takes intentionality. It’s hard work; but it’s so worth it.
God knows that relationships are not easy and so there are a number of instructions and guidance given that helps us have flourishing marriages. However, sometimes the best marriage advice is found in general commands given to Jesus followers – not in specific instruction about marriage. One of my favorite passages that isn’t specifically about marriage, but it has everything to do with building a healthy marriage is Philippians 2:3-4. It reads,
"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Even though this passage isn’t about marriage, it would certainly help form a healthy covenantal relationship, wouldn’t it? Yes! Husbands and wives both thrive as they embrace the selfless way of Jesus.
I share this example because one of the traps we fall into is in thinking that the specific commands given for marriage override all of the other general commands given to Christians. Paul teaches the Ephesian church to “submit to one another” (5:21) and then he says, “wives as to your husbands.” He then wrote, “husbands, love your wives.” The specific call for wives to submit to their husbands doesn’t replace the general command to submit to one another; and the specific call for husbands to love their wives does not replace the command Jesus gave to “love one another” (John 13:34). Husbands should also submit, and wives should also love.
The unique applications for marriage point to an emphasis placed on a specific action within the relationship. It draws out the differentiated unity that is found in healthy marriages, but it doesn’t override the 59 ‘one anothers’ we find in the New Testament. Those ‘one anothers’ have something to say about how to live as a follower of Jesus, and they apply to both parties within a marriage. It’s in living out both the general and the specific commands that healthy marriages are forged and flourish.
Take some time today and memorize Philippians 2:3-4. Then choose one way to try to apply it to your life. If you’re married, think of one way to live it out in marriage.
By Ryan Pauslon
Lead Pastor
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What’s It to You?
My brother and I are really close in age, we share a birthday month and are less than a year apart. One year, we decided to celebrate our birthdays with a pool party at my grandparents house. It was going to be a magical time hanging out with the cousins, swimming at the pool, and unwrapping my presents! Now, given that it was closer to my birthday (it may have been my actual birthday, I was only about 6 or 7), I assumed that the party was just for me. Well, you can imagine my surprise when we show up and there’s two sets of gifts! I remember thinking to myself, it’s my birthday party, why is my brother also getting presents? I was upset about it the rest of the day! I have a history of this. Every Christmas, my grandfather loves to tell the story of when we were unwrapping presents and my brother got one before me, so I, true to form, kicked him! Over 20 years later, it’s still being brought up.
As I was reading this passage, I remembered these stories. Why? Because it illustrates to me that we struggle to be content with the things we’re getting and have a tendency to always look over our shoulder at what our brother is receiving. Do you relate to this story at all? Have you ever wanted to “kick” someone because you felt like they had an easier go of things or better lot in life? The encouragement Jesus gives to Peter here is so clear! What is it to you? In short, “Hey Pete, I’ve got plans for you and plans for him. You follow me, not him!”
Ultimately, Jesus says to Peter, keep your eyes on the prize! Don’t play the comparison game, as I said a few weeks ago via Teddy Roosevelt, comparison is the thief of joy! As Paul would encourage us, we keep our eyes focused on the goal which is serving Jesus wholly and completely! I would encourage you today to ask yourself how you recenter yourself to make sure that you’re focused on Jesus? I would encourage you to make sure that each day you’re taking time to pray and ask Jesus to help you to seek Him first because ultimately, what is it to me when Jesus asks me to walk a harder road than someone else? We do the best with what God has put in front of us and trust the Maker in all circumstances.
By Seth Redden
Pastor of High School Ministry
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Lead or Follow
Several years ago, the American automobile executive, Lee Iacocca, famously said in a Chrysler ad: “Lead, follow or get out of the way!” This was the style of Mr. Iacocca’s leadership, and it seemed to serve him well for many years. Indeed, that has been the style of leadership for most executives to this day. But there is something missing in this model — the ability to follow. Somehow, with rugged individualism as the model in this country for well over a century, we have developed the mistaken notion that to lead is to be in control and to have the power over subordinate people.
Jesus taught the opposite. Not long before He went to the cross, He washed the disciple’s feet and then asked them what he had just done for them. He had given them an example of leadership they would never forget. (John 13:12-14) Then he commanded that they wash one another’s feet.
To lead is to follow. Jesus only did what he saw His Father doing. (John 5:19) Realistically, we can never become great leaders until we become and remain great followers. When we understand this principle, it becomes easier to drop the quest for “greatness” and become comfortable in simply following. In many ways it is far more challenging to follow than it is to lead. Following requires an ability to give strict attention to detail and purpose. The Lord always is involved in our lives, and the lives of those around us. When we answer the call to lead one person or many people, we are placing ourselves in a position of responsibility for those people. They will look to us for a word of encouragement, direction, guidance, and discernment. To be a leader means to hear clearly from the Lord as we seek Him on behalf of those we lead. We must acknowledge that we do not have the answers they seek — but God does. While they can receive exactly what they need directly from the Lord, people often need assurance that they are on the right track and hearing correctly from Him. Leaders can provide that assurance because they know they have heard from the Lord.
Who are you called to lead? Are you willing to follow first? Jesus is waiting for you.
By Chip Whitman
Pastor of Care & Counseling
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Grace From First to Last
Before he was the preacher at Pentecost, the apostle of Rome, or the rock of the church, Peter was a man in need of tremendous forgiveness and grace. He said as much when Jesus first appeared to him on the Galilean beach: “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8) It was a marvel, then, that Jesus decided to take a chance on this man. A man who, by his own admission, declared blatantly that he wasn’t qualified for the job.
Fast forward three years later and Peter finds himself on the same beach. He’s in the same place where the journey started. But now there is no mistaking it: he has totally blown it.
Despite talking a big game, he denied Jesus and dropped the ball not once, not twice, but three times! The disciple that had boasted loudly, “Even if I have to die with you I will never deny you!” shamefully showed what he was really made of — a sorry excuse for a man and a lousy disciple.
Surely Jesus’ gamble has proven unwise. The chance that he gave this uneducated, rough-and-tumble fisherman has bitten him in the butt. At every turn Peter has shoved his foot in his mouth, questioned his rabbi’s teaching, and doubted when the going got rough. And this last defining failure is the finishing touch of a long list of disqualifications.
"Why, Jesus, did you not listen when I told you I was a sinful man? Bound to fall short? Destined to disappoint you? Why did you have to take a chance on me?”
But this is the amazing thing about God's calling on our lives; the grace that first visited Peter on the shores of Galilee is the same grace that rounds back again to catch him on the tail end of his greatest failure. Like a boomerang, it comes hurtling back with the same degree of force with which he threw it away. And this is the same for you and for me.
Jesus forgives Peter, picks him up again, and sets him on the path towards becoming the leader of the church.
Peter’s example shows us that God’s calling is all grace from first to last. We all bring a different set of disqualifications to the table, but Jesus looks past all of it because it was never about what we brought to the table. Instead, the table has already been set for the breakfast feast of God’s new mercies, ready to revitalize you and me for another day of the work he graciously gives us to do.
By Ryan Lunde
Pastor of Young Adult Ministries
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Radical Love
What is really happening here in the conversation between Jesus and Peter? Why did Jesus ask Peter three times if he loved him? Do you love me more than these? Do you really love me? Do you love ME? Peter kept saying of course I love you, Jesus, you already know that. The word for love Peter uses in the Greek (phileo) means having affection for or fondness. This was a teaching moment for Jesus and a learning one for Peter.
Jesus is giving his disciple Peter another chance to learn what loving Him really means. Remember Peter denied Jesus three times though he boasted he never would. While the English language has only one word for love, there are several words for love in the original Greek. The one Jesus uses here is agape which is sacrificial, unconditional love — it is the radical love of God that is shown throughout the Bible. God doesn’t love us because of who we are but because of who He is. Jesus loved people that others would shun. He loved Rahab the prostitute, Thomas who doubted Jesus, Peter who denied him three times, and many others that we might judge unworthy.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:7-9, NIV)
God isn’t only saying that He loves us unconditionally but that we are all called to love Him and others the same way. He says we are to love our neighbors and even our enemies with this radical love. Jesus tells Peter to tend, feed His sheep and “follow me.” Learn from the Good Shepherd how to truly love unconditionally.
“... 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.” (Ephesians 3:17-19, NIV)
God knows your heart and longs for you to know His heart. He wants you to experience His radical love on a continual basis. He gave us His Spirit who enables us to see people as He sees them. For us, love is making a choice every day, either to love or not to love people like Jesus loves us. This love isn’t a feeling, it’s a commitment to love Him, follow him and love others His way.
By Deb Hill
Executive Admin. Assistant
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Unchained?
Put yourself in Peter’s shoes for a moment. You have just failed your teacher, your friends, and yourself by denying Jesus three times before his death. The spin cycle of shame, guilt, frustration, denial, fear, etc., becomes like a heavy chain. It was probably overwhelming for Peter.
I remember missed tackles in football, or failing exams that I studied for. These things don’t bother me too much anymore, however, in my mind I replay times when I was rude to people, hurt the people I love, let someone down, and those are the failings that put the weight of shame around my neck. All I want to do is hide from it all, kind of like how Peter went back to fishing. I can still remember the look on my wife’s face when I said something hurtful, I can still feel the humiliation of tripping and falling in front of all my friends, and the hurt I caused when I lived only for myself (I can relate to hiding on a boat like Peter). My mind can be like a heavy chain that won’t let me escape the past if I let it.
Peter could not escape, but he could be distracted. Fishing was a way to get his mind off what just happened. Do you ever do that? Maybe you watch television, read a book, scroll through social media, or dive into a hobby. Jesus knew that isn’t what Peter needed because the chain of shame would only get heavier. Jesus came to Peter to restore and reinstate, so the chain could be broken.
Jesus takes our failures, our shame, our guilt, and gives us his love, forgiveness, hope and purpose. We are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1), we are now called (John 15:16), so let’s live with the freedom that comes in the calling (Ephesians 4:1-3). Let Jesus break the chain. (CLICK HERE to view song video.)
Do you have any chains of shame weighing you down? Why do you think it is too big for Jesus to break? Can you talk to him now, tell him what it is and accept his forgiveness?
By Jeremy Johnson
Director of Men's Ministry
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