Philippians 2

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Reflection:

As Christian brothers and sisters, how should we relate to one another? In Paul’s time, the Greek idea of friendship was based on the concept of social reciprocity. In other words, friends expected to “benefit” from one another by their mutual goodwill and trust. As products of that culture the Philippian Christians incorrectly carried this ‘I scratch your back and you scratch mine’ mentality into their relationships with one another. But Paul is clear and tells the Philippians that they have the wrong mindset when it comes to relationships. His encouragement to them is that they now have a new model when it comes to relating with others, and that model is Jesus Christ. Despite his status of deity, Christ’s self emptying and humility (demonstrated ultimately on the cross) teaches and empowers us to relate to one another as humble servants.

Response:

The way Christ relates to us is so different from our worldly ideas of friendship. Instead of always looking for the advantage, Jesus turned everything on its head and now calls us to be servants. Today let’s respond by praying from Philippians 2. Let us ask for forgiveness for our old ways of relating to one another and for using others for our selfish benefit. Instead let us take on the ‘mindset’ of Christ. Let’s pray that Jesus’ model of humility and servant-hood would permeate our communities.

Acts 20: 25-38

25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” 36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Reflection:
This passage retells the farewell account of Paul as he leaves the church in Ephesus. It is clear that this is a heartwarming scene of a spiritual father encouraging the leaders to care about the church as he departs for good. He charges them to keep watch especially over the flock that Christ bought with his own blood, a charge that is not to be taken lightly but embraced fully. To work hard and help the weak, because there will be trouble coming in the form of detractors, wanting to lead the flock astray. By the example of Paul, the church is to not just sit back, see that what they have is good, and be a burden. Rather, they are to embrace and remember that they have much work to do in living as they are called to be the people of God. Paul wanted them to see that the fruit of the labor of loving and raising up of the church requires as much he has given and it is possible for those he is entrusting do the same.

Response:
Many of us who are working know that we just don’t work for the sake of it, but for the very reason that we need to provide for ourselves and for our families. If we don’t do the work, then it is possible that we would lose our job. However, as a people who are set to live for His purposes, we have a better, eternal reason to work hard. Beyond the earthly rewards, we are to work each day in living out this love in the church and amongst the people that Jesus loves who are not in the flock yet. We have no choice but to be on guard for this very purpose, not imposing undue hardship on each other, but lifting each other up according to what we have been abundantly given. Let’s ask the Lord to give us the strength to persevere, the endurance from the Spirit, and that He would sustain us each step of the way. May God have mercy on us as we work hard for His kingdom!

Revelation 21:1-4

1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Reflection:
Heavenly Father
You always amaze me
Let your kingdom come
In my world and in my life
You give me the food I need
To live through the day
And forgive me as I forgive
The people that wronged me
Lead me far from temptation
Deliver me from the evil one
I look out the window
The birds are composing
Not a note is out of tune
Or out of place
I look at the meadow
And stare at the flowers
Better dressed than any girl
On her wedding day
So why do I worry?
Why do I freak out?
God knows what I need
You know what I need
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong

- Excerpt from Jon Foreman “Your Love is Strong”

Response:
In today’s passage, we see the church, the bride of Christ, who will be the best dressed, beautifully ready for her husband, the bridegroom Jesus Christ.  Even now, we are being molded to be the most beautifully dressed as we recognize that all we need is in Christ. Let’s ask the Lord to make this a reality in our lives today.  Because of his love and goodness towards us, let’s thank God for drawing us near to Him as He prepares us to be the bride of Christ.

Ephesians 4:14-16

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Reflection:
The most important thing when eating a salad is to make sure there is enough lettuce, vegetables and dressing with each bite.  In order to get the perfect bite, usually the salad is vigorously shaken and/or tossed, causing all the components in the salad to be displaced.  Similarly, in today’s passage, Paul uses the imagery of an infant being tossed and turned to describe what happens to the church when they are easily influenced by false teaching. Because they are not firmly grounded in the truth, the church can also be tossed back and forth.  But Paul goes on to paint a beautiful image of what the church in its maturity will be like, one that speaks the truth in love and builds each other up. Tossing is appropriate for salad making, but not for the church! So let us do our part, as part of the body.

Response:
Let’s pray that as a body of Christ, we will continue to grow into maturity, being firmly rooted in the truth as we acknowledge that Christ is the head. Let’s ask for the Spirit to help us do our part in the body so that the church may grow up in love.

Ephesians 2:14-18

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Reflection:
The Spirit breaks down the barriers of hostility that exists in humanity. The passage attests that the problem is not whether Jews were right or the Gentiles, for Paul takes no sides. It is neither group because the basic framework of law and regulation was wrong, so now the new framework of the Spirit creates a new humanity of reconciliation. A new people of God! We all share access to the Father by the Spirit! Think about what keeps us together, or even how we appreciate this incredible commonality.

Response:
Going beyond what is physical, imagine all the people living in the world, without any walls, barriers and defenses to keep them apart. Other people can only dream about this today. As believers, we do know that this is only possible through the Spirit of God sent for His people. There is nothing more harmonious in this world than the people of God living together according to the Spirit that lives in them. There is nothing less that we could hope for as we relate with one another and to those who we are inviting to get to know Him as well through his church. All things are possible for us to love and reach out to others because we are no longer bound by our differences since the Spirit is with us. True peace can only come from the Spirit. Let’s pray today, that we are enabled to move beyond our own made up borders and limitations and into the life He has given us to love and give our lives for. 

Romans 12:3-8

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Reflection:
Living in a world that defines successes and failures by what people do and how they live their life, we may find ourselves getting caught up in doing whatever it takes to fall under the “success” category.  After all, who wants to be a failure? As a result, we put on layers and layers of things that the world expects us to be. Whether directly or indirectly, we are competing against our neighbors, our co-workers, our classmates, or anyone who stands in the way of your success. This drive can easily distort the way we view people we encounter everyday, including those in our own communities.  In today’s passage, Paul urges the people to take a step back and to think soberly about who they really are, peeling back the layers to expose what they are really made of.  No matter how self-sufficient we think we are in this life, the truth is, we are a people in need of a Savior.  As we come to this realization, we begin to see how much we need to depend on God moment by moment.  As we humbly recognize who we truly are before God, our faith can grow in a way that changes the way we view others.

Response:
Let’s pray and declare that we will depend on the Lord today and as we depend on him, may our faith increase even more.  Let’s also pray that as we depend on the Lord, may our eyes be opened to see the people of God from His perspective and that this will cause us to use our gifts to build and encourage the community that the Lord has called us to serve.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (New International Version)

1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (New International Version)

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Reflection:

This life in Christ is plain and simple when we don’t make it about ourselves but simply trust and obey the Lord.  Apostle Paul’s heart for the Corinthian church was that their faith would not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power alone.  Paul understood that his life in the Lord is merely “treasure in jars of clay” and that all focus must be on the treasure not on the clay jar that holds it.  He was not the best speaker, but that was okay, because he knew it was not about him, but it was all about God. Paul lived out the Gospel with his life and proclaimed Jesus Christ and nothing else.  We too are to live out the Gospel so that God will be glorified through us.

Response:

Let’s spend some time humbly coming before the Lord as we wrap up our week.  Let’s pray that we will fully live out the Gospel depending on God’s power alone and not on our own strength.  Let’s proclaim Jesus Christ and nothing else.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (New International Version)

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Reflection:

Isn’t it interesting that Paul was free, and yet he chose to become slave to everyone?  Being a slave is not what we think of when we talk about freedom.  However, Paul didn’t become slave because this was something he wanted to be, but he chose this way of life so that he may win over as many as possible for the Lord.  As you can see this true freedom that Paul had was regulated by the love of God.  Paul exercised this freedom by becoming slave to everyone for the sake of the gospel.  We too are truly free in Christ, and we can express this freedom by becoming servants to those around us so that they may be saved.  May we do all this for the sake of the gospel that we may share in its blessings.

Response:

Let’s pray that God will help us to live out this true freedom that is regulated by His incredible love for us.  Let’s respond to God’s great love by becoming all things to all people so that by all possible means we might save some.

1 Corinthians 3:6, 16-17 (New International Version)

6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplatethe Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Ephesians 1:15-23 (New International Version)

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Reflection:

For all of our lives we have been told to do things in the world’s way and under the world’s rules. Yet, when we encountered Christ and received His Spirit in our hearts something incredible happened. All those old ways of living and responding to life’s circumstances are now no longer valid, because Jesus has given us a new hope and a new way to live. It is by God’s power, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, that we can see real victory in our lives. It is not by our own strength or cunning, but the power of God through His Son Jesus Christ, that we live. This is the new way, and the new hope by which we are called to live.

Response:

Let’s pray that as we live in this new way that we would also be messengers of what Christ has done for us to those we are trying to reach out to on our campuses, in our work places, and in our communities. Let’s pray that God’s power would be made real in each of their lives, so that they too would receive this same hope that we now have in Christ.