Author: Scott Lane

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 4:11-16 (day five)  

“… speaking the truth in love”  Ever thought how extremely difficult and complex that is?  Let’s think larger… What about speaking anything and everything (not just truth) in love?  Two quotes from books I’ve recently read come to mind. They challenge, convict, and influence me all the time.

“We are to speak with patience. Rash speech can quickly threaten godly endurance.”  Sam Allberry (James for You)

“Being right is actually a very hard burden to be able to carry gracefully and humbly. That’s why nobody likes to sit next to the kid in class who’s right all the time. One of the hardest things in the world is to be right and not hurt other people with it.”  Dallas Willard (Soul Keeping by John Ortberg)

May all our words/our speaking- (including truths, opinions, conversations, critiques, and questions) be seasoned with the unmistakeable love of Christ.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 4:1-6 (day five)  

There’s no doubt that this section of Paul’s letter is about unity. What strikes me as I have read this text, is that unity is already there. We don’t (and can’t) create it or improve it. God has called us into an already existing unity (see vs 4-6). Our task and privilege is to “keep” or “preserve” it. One of the reasons we preserve fruit is so that it will taste the same whenever it is eaten instead of spoiling or rotting. Left unattended and ignored, fruit will eventually lose its fresh flavor. Same with unity. Left unattended, unity will not look or feel fresh and Holy. The process for preserving unity requires energy and intentionality (some versions say “make every effort”). Unity is one of God’s great gifts that we are called into and entrusted to keep and preserve.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 3:14-21 (day five)

“may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,”

This week I have the privilege of being with over 50 of our adults in Branson, Missouri. I can tell you we have had fun- no doubt. AND, we have grown closer to God. Paul helps us understand how and why this happens. When we are together with other believers what begins to happen as we love, encourage, and serve each other is that we see, hear, and sense how the Lord works in the hearts and lives of His saints. When we are together, we get a bigger/better picture and clearer understanding of God- how He works, gifts, and blesses others. We hear it in testimonies as we listen to each other’s stories and experiences. We see it as we serve, encourage, and fellowship with each other. The love of God has too many facets for us to see on our own. We get to witness and learn so many more dimensions of His love when we are with other believers. That’s why gathering as the Body of Christ for worship and in smaller groups to study the Scriptures, fellowship, and serve together is so critical. God’s love is more grand and glorious than we can know by ourselves. It takes being with other believers to understand that He saves, uses, and blesses others in ways we might otherwise never hear, see, or sense. That is part of the testimony of our group this week in Branson. We have grown closer to God because we have seen and heard of His great love from each other.

“We can’t easily fathom his love on our own.”- Richard Coekin

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 3:1-13 (day five)

“…so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.”

I love the way Paul describes God’s wisdom in Ephesians 3:10- uses the word manifold. The only place this Greek word is used. It’s a compound word. The root word is Poikilos- various or varied of all kinds of colors. Paul adds the prefix Polu- very, considerably, much.  So Paul is communicating the wisdom of God is “very various”. It is universally sized. It has  unlimited variations, and subtleties. It is unsearchably intricate.

So the questions come: Does the way we give our trust, dependence, and obedience to God reflect our belief and confidence in His manifold wisdom?  Do I believe that God in His manifold wisdom knows how to live a human life (better than I do)?  Do I ask for (prayer) and act on His manifold wisdom that is available through the mystery of the gospel (a relationship with Gods through Christ Jesus)?

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 2:19-22(day five)  Paul uses three pictures or metaphors in just 3 verses to drive home his point of belonging for these gentile believers- Citizenship, Family, and Stones. Was a new thought to them and also to the Jewish believers, that they all now belonged in community, together. Paul’s words ring true for us today, challenging the western cultural thought of separation and individualization, “I don’t need to join a church or even attend a church to be a strong and growing christian”.  Paul emphatically says no to this line of thinking. Christianity is a “team sport”. Trust, patience, kindness, steadfastness, and love are all needed and required to function as fellow citizens, family, and stones being built together. When we receive and give these things with (Paul’s word) others in local church community, people sense and see God at work. It is one of the sermons that we get to preach. I wonder how clear and how bold this sermon is seen and heard from those looking at and listening to our church.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 2:8-10 (day five). Ever get “cabin fever” or go “stir crazy”? (remember  snowmageddon) The natural response is restlessness and frustration. My response is often to just get out or get away and do something. It’s a natural tendency to want to immediately “do something”or “do anything”. Ever thought or said those words? Some times we relate to salvation and faith the same way, “I’ve got to do something”.  Paul says no.  Clearly. Succinctly. Not by works (there’s nothing you can do for your salvation). But then, he goes on to say we were created in Christ to do good works.  Confused?  Frustrated? The clarity comes when you examine the “good works”. Our tendency is think, “I need to do something/anything” (works). But the scriptures are teaching us to think and trust, “I need to patiently wait and discover the things God has for me to do” (good works vs. 10). Sometimes waiting/discovering what God has and desires for us to do is the work. It’s just as hard and is as much work as actually doing.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:15-23(day five) “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”

When Paul prays for the Ephesians, first and foremost, he wants them to be “closer” (my word) to God. Other translations will say “know Him better” or “knowing Him personally”. What Paul believes is that if these faithful followers of Christ can get closer to God (know him better or more personally/intimately) it will change how they see things (eyes of your heart). It will lift their attention and focus from their current circumstances to the deeper and eternal realities that have already been set in place. Remember Paul is in prison (circumstance), but the eyes of his heart is helping him see something longer and larger going on in him and around him. What they (we) need, is to see the world (including circumstances) the way God sees it- which is the way it really is (hope, riches, power). And drawing closer to God makes that possible- even in prison.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:3-12(day five) 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”

How are you?  It’s a question we ask and get asked a lot. Sometimes it’s a cordial question- passing by and offering a quick greeting. Often the answer to that question is “fine” or “ok”. Sometimes though, it is a more deep and meaningful question. And the answer is longer and more personal. I have a friend at our church whose answer to that question never changes.  “Blessed and highly favored”. I always ask him so that I can hear him answer. His answer helps and encourages me. It reminds me that I too, as a believer in Christ am “blessed and highly favored”. It presses into my mind and heart the certainty of my eternal reality in the midst of my current circumstances. Paul was doing the same thing. In the midst of his imprisonment, he himself, wants to remember and also remind his readers that they are blessed.

Pauls directs their attention towards God because God is deserving of our thanks and praise, and also because articulating our blessings helps us enjoy and understand them even more. So, let me remind you that “You are Blessed”!!  Amen?