Jesus in the Writings of Paul (5)
Pray Psalm 33.20-22.
Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.
Sing Psalm 33.20-22.
(Truro: Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns)
God is our Helper and our Shield; upon us let Your grace descend!
We hope in You; to You we yield; we trust in Jesus to the end.
Read Rom. 10.14-17; 1 Cor. 3.5-9; Col. 1.24-29; meditate on Colossians 1.28, 29.
Preparation
1. What was the substance of Paul’s preaching?
2. What did he hope to accomplish?
Meditation
Paul’s message to his world was Jesus. The focus of all His preaching and teaching was on Jesus. Jesus is the goal of our salvation—knowing Him better, spending more time with Him, being transformed into His image, and bearing witness of Him to others. Not doctrine. Not spiritual self-help. Not anything other than this one thing: Jesus.
Preaching that neglects to focus on Jesus is not Pauline preaching. Nor is it Biblical. And let’s note three more things about Paul’s preaching.
First, it contained a warning. That warning was, in essence, “Repent, believe, and be saved, or you will die in your sins and be lost forever.” But His preaching also contained teaching, searching the Scriptures to show how all the oracles of God point to, typify, symbolize, exemplify, or prophesy about Jesus (Acts 28.23-28). Jesus was Paul’s Word to the world, and He must be ours as well.
And third, Paul intended his preaching to have impact. He was not content for those who heard him to nod politely and congratulate him on an “really great” sermon. Paul’s goal in his preaching was that all who heard him might be made complete in Jesus. He preached to bring Jesus to the hearts of people and then to shape them into His likeness. He did not seek large churches, more church members or contributions, better conditions for himself and his team, nor anything other than that the people he served, and who heard his preaching, might daily be made more like Jesus to further His Kingdom in the world.
Jesus to the world. This is our life, and this is our message.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“…Him we preach,
warning every man and
teaching every man in all wisdom,
that we may present every man
perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1.28).
“Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and
hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
If you say, ‘Surely we did not know this,’
does not He Who weighs the hearts consider it?
He Who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?” (Prov. 24.11, 12).
What might seem pandering and trite at Christmas time—Jesus is the Reason for the Season—is absolutely and assuredly true for all of life.
Jesus is The Reason for Everything—for every season, for every life, for every breath, for every work, for every word—“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (Jn. 1.3, 4).
It is this Jesus Whom we serve and proclaim, as “God’s fellow workers” (1 Cor. 3.9).
“Jesus to the world. This is our life, and this is our message.”
O Master, let me walk with Thee In lowly paths of service free;
Tell me Thy secret; help me bear The strain of toil, the fret of care.
Help me the slow of heart to move By some clear, winning word of love;
Teach me the wayward feet to stay, And guide them in the homeward way.
Teach me Thy patience! still with Thee In closer, dearer company,
In work that keeps faith sweet and strong, In trust that triumphs over wrong.
In hope that sends a shining ray Far down the future’s broad’ning way,
In peace that only Thou canst give, With Thee, O Master, let me live.
(Washington Gladden, 1879)
Jesus is the reason for all the words
that we will ever want to share with the world.
Reflection
1. What are some obstacles that can keep us from proclaiming Jesus to our world?
2. Which of these obstacles do you face? How can you overcome them?
3. What is the Gospel?
As Christ is preached among us, let us seriously inquire, whether he dwells and reigns in us; for this alone can warrant our assured hope of his glory. We must be faithful to death, through all trials, that we may receive the crown of life, and obtain the end of our faith, the salvation of our souls. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Colossians 1.24-29
Pray Psalm 33.1-9.
Rejoice in the Lord and His salvation. Praise Him for His unchanging Word. Spread your day before Him, and ask Him to work through you so that His love prevails through all your part of the world.
Sing Psalm 33.1-9.
(Truro: Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns)
Sing with rejoicing in the LORD, for praise becomes His righteous ones!
With harps and songs raise grateful words, and let new songs of praise be sung!
Joyfully shout! His Word is true; He does His work in faithfulness.
His love prevails the whole world through; the LORD loves truth and righteousness.
God spoke and heaven came to be, and all its hosts His Spirit wrought.
He heaps the waters of the sea; the deeps their dwelling place are taught.
Let all below now fear the LORD; let all in awe of Him abide!
The worlds exist by His own Word; let all on earth in Him confide.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our current ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” is dealing with the time of our livesand how we make more of this for the progress of Christ’s Kingdom. In our Read Moore column, we continue working our way through the book, Understanding the Times. And I encourage you to follow our Corsfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert, nicknamed “The Navigator.” Join us and find out why. Click the Articles tab on the home page to see all the selections available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
