The Difference Between Insiders and Outsiders
Memory Verse: 'I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. '
John 10:9
Sermon Sentence: The reason that accountability can work in the church is because we have all placed ourselves under the same Bible.
John 10:9
Sermon Sentence: The reason that accountability can work in the church is because we have all placed ourselves under the same Bible.
Day 1
Read 1 Corinthians 5:1-13
The fact that verses are divided in our modern day versions of the Bible is so helpful. It makes it so much easier to navigate the whole Bible and keep everyone on the same page. I would say that it has to be one of the most beneficial and helpful inventions in Bible study. With that being said, it has also created some problems in our modern, lazy approaches to the Bible. We want to cut off thoughts with verses to make them easier to know or understand or even quicker to process. That can be good. But it can also create some real problems. For instance, we want to talk about who should the follower of Jesus spend time with. Therefore, we take verses from our section today and chop them out of the context and try to create a formula that works all the time. But, formulas rarely work all the time.
Matthew 9:10-17 tells the story of Jesus spending time with the tax collectors and sinners and getting flack for that from the religious leaders. In our quick edits and carry over ideas, we might struggle with the contradictions that seem to exist in Paul telling us not to associate with such people in 1 Corinthians 5, while Jesus demonstrated spending time in meals with them. This is the work that context brings as a fight against chopping out verses. The context of 1 Corinthians 5 is vital for the thoughts at the end of the chapter. I would even argue that the chapters around this section are vital as well. Paul was not sporadic in his thoughts and commands, he was thoughtful and careful in his approach. I would encourage us to be the same with these delicate topics as we process through what the Bible is saying.
Paul says in verse 6, “Your boating is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” What is the idea that Paul seems to be communicating here?
Explain verse 12 with an equivalent example, the way that you understand it.
How does this become part of your prayer today?
The fact that verses are divided in our modern day versions of the Bible is so helpful. It makes it so much easier to navigate the whole Bible and keep everyone on the same page. I would say that it has to be one of the most beneficial and helpful inventions in Bible study. With that being said, it has also created some problems in our modern, lazy approaches to the Bible. We want to cut off thoughts with verses to make them easier to know or understand or even quicker to process. That can be good. But it can also create some real problems. For instance, we want to talk about who should the follower of Jesus spend time with. Therefore, we take verses from our section today and chop them out of the context and try to create a formula that works all the time. But, formulas rarely work all the time.
Matthew 9:10-17 tells the story of Jesus spending time with the tax collectors and sinners and getting flack for that from the religious leaders. In our quick edits and carry over ideas, we might struggle with the contradictions that seem to exist in Paul telling us not to associate with such people in 1 Corinthians 5, while Jesus demonstrated spending time in meals with them. This is the work that context brings as a fight against chopping out verses. The context of 1 Corinthians 5 is vital for the thoughts at the end of the chapter. I would even argue that the chapters around this section are vital as well. Paul was not sporadic in his thoughts and commands, he was thoughtful and careful in his approach. I would encourage us to be the same with these delicate topics as we process through what the Bible is saying.
Paul says in verse 6, “Your boating is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” What is the idea that Paul seems to be communicating here?
Explain verse 12 with an equivalent example, the way that you understand it.
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 2
Read Matthew 9:9-17
I was raised up in ministry through an era of time where the visitor was considered the most considered person for the work and movement of the church. If you read that and are not understanding what I mean, but rather screaming back at this devotion “Well of course it should be! We have to reach the lost!” Then I would venture to bet that you have been steeped in the same poor teaching. So therefore, I must be anti-reaching lost people and therefore there is a huge issue here, right? No. I think there is another way to process through all of this that I would love to walk out. I believe that we should preach the gospel and attempt to reach every person we can. I think that would be a good practice for today, tomorrow, and all of the other days. I think it should rise to the place of consideration of importance above most everything else. I even think that we should consider all aspects of our service on Sunday to view it from the way the lost person may see it and they may be compelled to come follow Jesus. But I don’t think that is the only or even main purpose of the local church as it meets together for a Sunday morning worship. I think that is one of the main purposes of the individual follower of Jesus.
This passage helps to illustrate my point. Jesus was willing to walk, talk, eat, and share in some aspects of life with the sinners and tax collectors. But notice how He approached the tax collector called Matthew. He approached him as a tax collector, but He also called him away from that. He told him to follow Him. And that is a story captured in a book by the name of “Matthew”, because the tax collector stopped being what he was and followed Jesus.
I tried to make a point of highlighting a difference in approach. I may not have done a good job here. So what was I trying to communicate and what is the difference?
Do you agree or disagree with what I was saying? Why?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
I was raised up in ministry through an era of time where the visitor was considered the most considered person for the work and movement of the church. If you read that and are not understanding what I mean, but rather screaming back at this devotion “Well of course it should be! We have to reach the lost!” Then I would venture to bet that you have been steeped in the same poor teaching. So therefore, I must be anti-reaching lost people and therefore there is a huge issue here, right? No. I think there is another way to process through all of this that I would love to walk out. I believe that we should preach the gospel and attempt to reach every person we can. I think that would be a good practice for today, tomorrow, and all of the other days. I think it should rise to the place of consideration of importance above most everything else. I even think that we should consider all aspects of our service on Sunday to view it from the way the lost person may see it and they may be compelled to come follow Jesus. But I don’t think that is the only or even main purpose of the local church as it meets together for a Sunday morning worship. I think that is one of the main purposes of the individual follower of Jesus.
This passage helps to illustrate my point. Jesus was willing to walk, talk, eat, and share in some aspects of life with the sinners and tax collectors. But notice how He approached the tax collector called Matthew. He approached him as a tax collector, but He also called him away from that. He told him to follow Him. And that is a story captured in a book by the name of “Matthew”, because the tax collector stopped being what he was and followed Jesus.
I tried to make a point of highlighting a difference in approach. I may not have done a good job here. So what was I trying to communicate and what is the difference?
Do you agree or disagree with what I was saying? Why?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 3
Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
The most famous use of 6:14 when I was growing up was for the Christian and why they should not date or marry a non-Christian. And by “most famous” I mean the literal only time I ever heard it talked about was in that context. I grew up thinking this verse was only about dating and marriage! Imagine my surprise when I read it and discovered that the context has absolutely no mention or leaning toward dating or marriage.
Now that you have read that much, you should challenge what I just said. Does it have anything to do with that or not? If you just took another look at the passage, I bet you are able to see the value in that approach. Well, I guess that depends on what lens you view relationships through. This passage is about the idea of considering that if we live in the presence of God, because that is what our Theology leads us to believe, that God is everywhere and in us, then we have to consider every single aspect of our life from that perspective. Now we ask things like “Should I bring that into the presence of God? Or does it belong in a place that is considered holy?”
What are some other ways you see that this section of verses could be properly applied?
Why do you think this idea was important enough for Paul to write about, especially considering that it was to the church at Corinth?
How does this become your prayer today?
The most famous use of 6:14 when I was growing up was for the Christian and why they should not date or marry a non-Christian. And by “most famous” I mean the literal only time I ever heard it talked about was in that context. I grew up thinking this verse was only about dating and marriage! Imagine my surprise when I read it and discovered that the context has absolutely no mention or leaning toward dating or marriage.
Now that you have read that much, you should challenge what I just said. Does it have anything to do with that or not? If you just took another look at the passage, I bet you are able to see the value in that approach. Well, I guess that depends on what lens you view relationships through. This passage is about the idea of considering that if we live in the presence of God, because that is what our Theology leads us to believe, that God is everywhere and in us, then we have to consider every single aspect of our life from that perspective. Now we ask things like “Should I bring that into the presence of God? Or does it belong in a place that is considered holy?”
What are some other ways you see that this section of verses could be properly applied?
Why do you think this idea was important enough for Paul to write about, especially considering that it was to the church at Corinth?
How does this become your prayer today?
Day 4
Read Matthew 18:15-20
I really wonder what it would have been like to hang out with Jesus in real life? To watch His demeanor as He got frustrated and see how He actually interacted with those friends and family members that just did regular friend and family member stuff. It is easy to imagine that Jesus was conflict free and easy going with everyone, but what was it like when things got really raw?
This passage makes me realize that Jesus surely was not a pushover. Even though most of the images and ideas that I hear presented of Him make me want to think that. So many people want this to be a formula with the goal of figuring out how to get someone out of our lives. It helps us answer the question of when is enough enough and how do we deal with the real bottom dwelling problems. But I do not really think that was the point here. I think Jesus is just acknowledging what we all deal with in relationships and certainly He did too: conflict. If someone sins against you, you don’t have to be walked all over. You also shouldn’t retaliate. Jesus has a much better way. It is a way that digs at getting to the heart of the wrong done against you. It is not comfortable and most of the time we want to avoid everything about it all and just harbor a grudge or shoot back with a temper, but neither of those ends of the spectrum are good or worth considering.
In the context of this teaching, explain what Jesus meant by saying “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them?”
When you are faced with being wronged by someone, do you tend to lash out in anger, or harbor the hurt and avoid confrontation?
Why is that response not the best according to what you learn here?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
I really wonder what it would have been like to hang out with Jesus in real life? To watch His demeanor as He got frustrated and see how He actually interacted with those friends and family members that just did regular friend and family member stuff. It is easy to imagine that Jesus was conflict free and easy going with everyone, but what was it like when things got really raw?
This passage makes me realize that Jesus surely was not a pushover. Even though most of the images and ideas that I hear presented of Him make me want to think that. So many people want this to be a formula with the goal of figuring out how to get someone out of our lives. It helps us answer the question of when is enough enough and how do we deal with the real bottom dwelling problems. But I do not really think that was the point here. I think Jesus is just acknowledging what we all deal with in relationships and certainly He did too: conflict. If someone sins against you, you don’t have to be walked all over. You also shouldn’t retaliate. Jesus has a much better way. It is a way that digs at getting to the heart of the wrong done against you. It is not comfortable and most of the time we want to avoid everything about it all and just harbor a grudge or shoot back with a temper, but neither of those ends of the spectrum are good or worth considering.
In the context of this teaching, explain what Jesus meant by saying “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them?”
When you are faced with being wronged by someone, do you tend to lash out in anger, or harbor the hurt and avoid confrontation?
Why is that response not the best according to what you learn here?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 5
Read Psalm 67
This Psalm is a blessing that was to be spoken over the listener in hopes that something good and gracious is spoken into their lives. I enjoyed reading it last week with my family and encourage you to read it as well. Spend time thinking about what it is saying and what it means. I pray this over your family and your week!
How does this become part of your prayer today?
This Psalm is a blessing that was to be spoken over the listener in hopes that something good and gracious is spoken into their lives. I enjoyed reading it last week with my family and encourage you to read it as well. Spend time thinking about what it is saying and what it means. I pray this over your family and your week!
How does this become part of your prayer today?
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