Read Romans 16:20, Genesis 3:1-19
As someone who hates running and sees little or no point in running in a circle faster than anyone else (why run when you can walk and have a decent chat???) I can only guess what strategies makes for world championship running, especially marathons. I suspect that one strategy is to keep the end, the finish line in your sights and to picture yourself crossing the line, being the first to breast the tape. That focus pushes you and urges you to strive even
Christianity in some sense is no different. We are to keep the end in view and to let the glory of the finish line, the anticipation of the winner’s podium, drive us and urge us to strive even harder. Even more so as we keep watch and defend each other against dissenters and wolves in sheep’s clothing we need to keep the end, the finish line, in our sights. The battle will not be long. This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, Rejoice!
Paul tells us that the God of Peace will soon crush satan under our feet. The reference goes right back to the fall in Eden when satan, the deceiver, deceived humanity into disobeying God. The one born of a woman (whom we know to be Jesus) will have his head crushed under the one born of a woman even though his own heel would be bruised. Jesus, through His death and resurrection defeated satan, and after His second coming will deal with all evil, all sin and all who seek to do evil. Together with the evil one they will all be thrown into the lake fire and burning sulphur. This is the end that we need to keep in view.
But interestingly Paul calls God the God of Peace. In the Roman church (see chapters 9-11) there was some tension and conflict. The Jews and Gentiles didn’t see eye to eye on all matters. It is this God of peace who has made the two one, destroying the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14) so that there is neither Jew nor Greek (Gal 3:28 and similar verses) in the Kingdom of God. This God of Peace has made peace between Jew and Gentile and will bring total peace at the return of His Son, Christ Jesus, when all dissenters are ultimately dealt with. This is not a call for uniformity but unity. God values diversity not dissention and division.
Given that we serve a God of Peace, it’s easy to understand how grieved the Lord’s heart is when people sit in His New Testament Temple (aka the Church) while still at odds with each other. The Lord is grieved by disharmony. He hates the tension caused by lingering arguments or long term feuds. The God of Peace wants us to be reconciled and to have hearts that genuinely love both Him and each other, reflecting both the first and second greatest commandments.
Given that God will soon crush satan, the sower of disharmony and deceit, under our feet we should willingly and joyously seek to be reconciled and in harmony with every other believer.
Prayer:
Use today’s Bible reading and notes to pray along the following lines.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God would bless our youth with a deepening faith that bears much fruit. Pray that He would bring maturity and wholeness, depth of love and growing obedience to the Word.
¨ Pray that the youth leaders would be men and women of integrity, men and women of the Word and able to teach/model the truth.
1. How do you deal with the old Christian adage ‘I don’t’ have to like other believers, I just have to love them’?
2. What should a Christian do if they discover that they don’t particularly like another believer in their congregation?
3. Imagine there are two Christians in your congregation who hate each other. What should the church do?
Intro: Our relationship with God is, in some sense, much like all other relationships. What things can you think of that make for a good relationship? What things make for a bad relationship?
Discuss your relationship with God and how it’s grown over the years. Talk about what you have done and what God has done in growing that relationship?
Read James 4:7-8
What things does God want us to be doing?
Can you give some examples of these?
Pray together that God would give you a heart that wants to draw near to God and away from sinfulness.
Intro: Our relationship with God is, in some sense, much like all other relationships. What things can you think of that make for a good relationship? What things make for a bad relationship?
Discuss your relationship with God and how it’s grown over the years. Talk about what you have done and what God has done in growing that relationship?
Read James 4:7-8
What things does God want us to be doing?
Can you give some examples of these?
Pray together that God would give you a heart that wants to draw near to God and away from sinfulness.
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