A Pattern to Follow

Over the years, the church has spent a lot of time searching the New Testament for patterns. This search has influenced everything from the way we conduct the Lord’s Supper to the way we baptise people. Oddly, though, there is one clearly stated pattern that has not garnered that much attention.

At the start of Second Timothy, Paul recounts the highpoints of the gospel message. In fact, he bookends his comments with the word “gospel” (verses 8 and 11) and in-between he lists several important aspects of what that gospel entails.

“Join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher” (2 Timothy 1:8-11).

Did you catch the tone and focus of that summary? The gospel is about what God has done. It is preached by his power. He saved us. Jesus is our hope both now and in eternity. We can start again and live a holy life, but (underline this) none of these blessings come about because of anything we have done.

Is that what you believe? Is that what you teach? If you had a chance to explain your faith to someone, is that where you would start? It better be, because this is the “pattern of sound teaching” (verse 13) that Timothy is supposed to use and that every New Testament sermon follows.

When we focus on ourselves rather than on God, sermons and classes devolve into self-help sessions that encourage people to try harder, be better and do more.

However, as Tullian Tchividjian observed, “If people walk away from a sermon thinking more about what they need to do than what Jesus has already done, the Gospel has not been preached”.

We must keep our focus on the attractive, hopeful, life-giving message of God’s grace and goodness.

That pattern is clear!

Comments

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly. https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s

Consider This: What is so Great About Grace?

If you were to drive by our house, you would see that Sara loves plants. Our yard is full of flowers, and Sara lovingly tends every one of them. Which is why I was so afraid when she left town and put me in charge of keeping things alive. She must have been a little concerned, too, because she sent me two videos with specific instructions on how to water, when to water, and what to do. Honestly, those first two videos helped, but the third one she sent was the one I liked most. In that one, she said, “Please do your best. I want the yard to look good for the family reunion in two weeks. However, if something dies, we will dig it out and pretend that it never existed!” That is what grace looks like! Try your best, do what you can, but if it goes wrong, it will be ok. Sometimes we talk as though grace and effort are opposites. That is not true. They are partners. In one place, scripture asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone c...

Consider This: Press The Button!

Consider This: Press the Button! My favourite TV game show is Jeopardy. I used to like it even more when my kids were younger, because I could easily beat them and look smart. These days, after they have grown up and gone to university, it is much more difficult. However, Jeopardy is still the only game show I will watch. In a book I read, a contestant who did very well on the show shared the secret to his success. He said (and I am paraphrasing here), “You must press the button before you know the answer. Everyone on Jeopardy is smart. Everyone knows the answer. The key to winning is to act. You must jump in and press the button, assuming that your brain will catch up and supply the answer. If you wait until you are sure, you will be too late!” Press the button! Too often, we hesitate, not because we do not know what to do, but because we do not want to do it. Sometimes, we fail to act because we are not sure how the situatio...

Consider this

Subscribe

Get new posts by email:

Search This Blog