We Will Talk Face to Face
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Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is an honor to be given this platform to share the Word of God with our church albeit through digital means. Early on this past week I had been making plans for our teaching schedule to finish out the year. For the past two weeks we have been walking through 2 John and today we were going to pick up with the beginning of 3 John. Then over the course of the week it came out that many of our members have gotten sick and everything changed. For the bulk of our time this morning, we will still be looking at 2 and 3 John, just taking things a different direction. Before we get there, I want to visit one of my favorite sections of Scriptures in James 4.
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
When I was making plans earlier this week, I had no idea that the virus was about to pop up through our midst. I had no idea that I would wake up at midnight Wednesday going in to Thursday to find our 7 month old son with a temperature of 104 degrees. Nor did I plan on spending that evening in the hospital trying to find his diagnosis and treatment plan.
It was a big reminder that in our human flesh, we are so fragile and vulnerable to disease that plagues our world ever since the Fall in the garden. Since that time more family members and friends have come down with illness. We’ve had to take big measures to try to stop the spread of this virus amongst us. We are reminded just how much our lives are a mist, a vapor, we’re here for a little time and then vanish.
Now the cynic could hear such a statement and respond with despondency. “Woe is me, my life is meaningless.”
But that is not the message that should be taken from those verses in James 4. That reaction comes from an incorrect view of self. Really, it is self-idolization. Look at the imperative James gives in verse 15
Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
James is calling out the arrogant who think that their lives are about them and telling them that their lives are really all about God. He says, “If the Lord wills,” Everything we do is reliant upon the God of the Universe who is in sovereign control. It is not a bad thing to make plans and pursue growth in this life, but we have to understand that everything that happens to us and through us is for God’s glory. Even our suffering. Scripture proclaims that everything we know of in existence is for the glory of God.
Creation declares it:
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Everything comes from Him and is for Him:
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
He works through us
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Everything works together for the good of those who love Him
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
I wanted to share these verse with the church because as we are going through a troubling and uncertain time, we may be quick to fall into a state of “Woe is me”, but when we consider that all of this is being used by God for His glory, we can be united in the peace of Christ to which indeed we have been called in one body.
Our lives are a vapor, short and fleeting. But even so, the God to whom the heavens declare His glory has made Himself known to us. He has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit. In these times of trouble we do not have to get down ourselves, but we are best served by getting down on our knees! Praying to the God from whom all blessings flow. Relying on Him as the rock of our salvation. Even when we are sick, hurting, and confused, we know that God loves us because while we were still sinners Christ died for us!
God is still at work through Durbin Memorial Baptist church. He is still at work in all those who fear Him, love Him, and know Him as Lord. One group counted in up and 300 times in the Word of God, His people are told to Fear Not! We are called to be wise in this word and make plans in accordance with the will of God, being led by the Spirit of God and not the spirit of fear.
I say all of this because I know how easy it is in our flesh to slip into fear. But we CAN be prudent in our lives without succumbing to fear. Please understand this encouragement in this time. Even though we may walk through that valley of the shadow of death, we shall fear no evil. The Lord being the great loving and caring shepherd comforts us with discipline and direction, His rod and His staff. And, if the Lord wills, we WILL be together again.
This leads me to the sections of Scripture for us today in 2 and 3 John.
I was struck by the pertinence of the endings of Johns letters to our situation today. We are meeting today through digital means. We are using the best of our technology to have a form of unity and shared study of God’s Word.
When John wrote 2 and 3 John, they were letters written to members of local church bodies. In those letters, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John provides encouragement and instruction for the churches that his ministry has an effect on. He is using the greatest technology that he had available at the time to get the message where it needed to go. For him, that was the letter. Both 2 and 3 John are letters that could be delivered to their intended recipients. In 2 John we see the interrelatedness of love and truth as well as a warning to avoid deception and reject false teaching. When we take a longer look at 3 John we will see how hospitality is essential for the God honoring church. But for today, I find the ending of these letters important and applicable for us today.
Read with me 2 John 12-13 and 3 John 13-15.
Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. The children of your elect sister greet you.
I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.
In both of these letters John is addressing important points. He addresses issues that the believers in the church need to understand so that they are effective in stewarding their lives for God’s glory. But with God given wisdom, John tells the readers that he would rather have the fullness of the conversation be face to face.
For the next three weeks, we are going to be talking about ecclesiology. Ecclesiology is a fancy word for the study of the church. We will not be able to cover all aspects of the church in this period, but it is an area that we should be familiar with. Ology, is the study of, and ecclesia is the greek word for the “called out assembly”. All through out the book of Acts, which gives us the history of the formation of the Christian church, all throughout Acts when you read and see the word church or congregation, in greek the word is ecclesia.
This is important for us to understand today because in our digital world, church is still defined by the gathering. I am so thankful for the ability to do what we are doing this morning. Without digital means we would have had to cancel all together. While we are going through this situation, we are able to meet in some form online, but we must all admit that it is less than ideal.
Church, we must protect, enjoy, and cherish the gathering. There are some things that cannot happen through these digital means. As I led worship songs this morning, I hope that you all were able to belt them out in your living rooms, singing songs to our Savior, but we miss out on opportunities to encourage one another in song. Our Sunday School classes are opportunities for us to poor into one another, share our burdens, hold one another accountable. Through digital means, we miss even having our greeters at the door. The smiles and conversations that are had before the service. While we say hello to one another in the comments, we are unable to extend the hand of fellowship. Even driving into a filled parking lot on a Sunday morning is a subtle reminder that as we live our lives for the glory of God, we do not do so alone but as a unified body. We come together to pray for the Lord’s will to be done on earth and in Clay’s Ferry as it is heaven. Gathering together is important.
We are here for another, united in the love of Jesus Christ. We gather together, because of our mutual love for Jesus Christ. The letter, or social media and streaming for that matter, are good for what they are, but the only thing better than the gathering we have in the local church, is the gathering we will have together in heaven.
Let us at those ideas:
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul is writing to new believers. He is exhorting them to live out godly lives and assuring them of what is to come. He tells them that the Lord is coming at some day, but none of us know when that day will be. He encourages them to be ready and then he writes this:
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
As we long for the day of the Lord, the returning of Jesus Christ to put an end to the sin, sickness, and pain we know all too well, the Thessalonians and us today are encouraged to walk through life sober, that is clear headed, girded with faith, love, and hope. Because no matter what we are going through, we are confident that God has not destined us for wrath. Instead, God has given us salvation, not by anything that we have done, nothing of our own merit, but only by the4 Lord Jesus Christ who died for us so that when he returns, whether that is in our lifetime or the distant future, we will live with Him for eternity!
Yall, this is amazing news! If you have called on the name of the Lord, meaning you have understood that you stand condemned in your sins, but Christ died for you, to take your sin upon Himself, you no are no longer condemned! Wrath is not your destiny! It doesn’t matter what you go through in this mist of a life because for eternity you will be gathered together with all other believers in the presence of the Lord!
And what are we called to do with this knowledge?
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
We are called to encourage and build one another up. In this chaotic time, I have been overwhelmed by the support of our members, I’ve had so many check in on us and I’ve tried to check in with other. In this life we are truly going at it together. Praise be to God for bringing us together in the local church. In this current situation, encouraging one another may look like sending a call or a text and checking in. Maybe its dropping off a meal or lifting up a prayer. Whatever it is, do not forget that we are in this together. Look at the rest of the instruction Paul gives the Thessalonians. May we apply this to our own behavior as a group of believers:
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Brothers, pray for us.
What we see here are at least 13 instructions for what we should be doing in all circumstances and one great truth of what God WILL do.
Respect the leaders in the church. I am so thankful for this group and for the love you all show. May God bless the decisions that have to be made when we face controversy.
Be at peace. We do not need to start splintering in this time, but come together all the more.
Admonish the idle. When Paul wrote this, some in the church were so certain Christ was coming back that they were lazy in their lives. They figured what’s the point with the daily grind, it’s gonna be over soon enough. Know and understand that if you have breath, He ain’t done with you yet. We must steward our lives for the glory of God. Don’t be idle! Use your efforts to glorify the Lord! “An Alaskan dog musher described to me the differences between the huskies in the straps of his sled. “Some of them are known as dishonest dogs,” he said. “They learn how to fake it, to pretend they are working hard by leaning against the harness without really pulling.” We have an opportunity right now to push one another in service to the Lord. (Knute Larson,)
Encourage the fainthearted- Many have been an encouragement to me. May we continue to do so. It is natural in a world full of harsh news and so much sickness to slip into depression. The depressed don’t need to be beaten down, they need to be lifted up!
Help the weak- This is talking about the weak in faith. I understand the great difficulties there are right now. May we all be pouring in to one another, finding those who are wavering and remind them of the solid rock of our salvation Jesus Christ! If you can’t meet with someone who is struggling with their faith in person, give them a call. Talk about Scripture. Remind them of God’s promises and the hope their is in Christ alone.
Don’t repay evil for evil- do good. Know that evil will be vanquished and Jesus is King. Don’t let the bumps of life push you to doing something that does not honor the Lord. Remember that your life is not your own but is Christ’s. Everywhere you go you are His ambassador!
Rejoice always!- This is a hard one but even as you are quarantined, rejoice, sing songs of praise. Remember that you have been reconciled to the HOly God who loved you enough to have Christ die for your sins and give you eternal life.
pray without ceasing - In our prayers we are reminded that it is God who is in control over all things. Through our prayer we lift up praise. We confess our shortcomings. We give thanks to God from whom all blessings flow. We ask for the Lord’s will to be done and align our intentions with His Will.
Don’t quench the spirit - Now the Holy Spirit Himself cannot be put out. He is God. But when we ignore the goodness of God and the instruction He has given us in His Word. We grieve the Holy Spirit when we act like heathens and ignore all of the other things we have talked about thus far. One group wrote, “The only correct road to follow is the road that leads the believer closer to God and purity, and farther away from the world and sin. Just as we do not like to be grieved, and just as we do not seek to quench what is good—so we should not grieve or quench the Holy Spirit by refusing to follow His leading.”
Do not despise prophecies - There is some debate as to meaning of this instruction, but the main way we can despise prophecy today is to neglect, reject, or ignore the Bible’s message. The clear commands of Scripture are given to us for our good. God’s Word is our guide and is profitable for us!
Test everything - This means that we are to hold up EVERYTHING to the test of the Word of God. If it is incongruent than we reject it. This is explained in the next two instructions:
We should hold on, hold fast to the good things in this world
and avoid every form of evil.
All of these are instructions given to the church as a corporate body. We do these things TOGETHER. These play out in our Sunday School, our worship services, our small groups but then they extend to our personal lives.
Following these instructions is what it means to be stewarding our lives for God’s glory. He has given us this life to serve Him and here is the blueprint!
But before we get too bigheaded and think that all of this depends on our own efforts, look back at verses 23 and 24
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
While we are stewarding our church and our lives for the glory of God, it is not by our own power. It is the God of peace who sanctifies us! Any good we do, any of those instructions that we follow, all of the glory for that is owed to God.
It is by God’s grace that we are regenerated, that is born again, through faith in Jesus Christ.
It is by God’s grace that we are justified, that is that our sin is nailed to cross of Jesus. We are seen as righteous before God because Christ took the punishment that we rightly and justly deserved upon Himself.
It is by God’s grace that we are sanctified, that is set apart to live lives that are glorifying to Him.
It is by God’s grace that we will one day be glorified, that is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
He who calls us faithful, will surely do it. The Gracious God has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us in our lives as a church and as individual Christians.
Let’s take just a moment to look at that glorified state,
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Here we see just a glimpse at the great gathering there will be in eternity. No longer anything accursed. No need for light because all will be consumed for the light of the Lord. All those who love the Lord will reign forever and ever, without the pains and sorrows that we experience.
The local church, the gathering of believers, when we are walking and living together in submission to the Lord is another glimpse, an imperfect picture of the perfection that is to come.
Look back to our texts from 2 and 3 John
Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. The children of your elect sister greet you.
I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.
I am so looking forward to when we gather again. I would rather not use streaming and software, but until that time, may this be used for encouragement.
There is so much joy in getting together with other believers.
I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
Let’s pray.
