Knit Together In Love

...that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ...
Colossians 2:2, ESV

Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
Colossians 2:18-19, ESV

These verses in Paul's God-breathed letter to the church of Christ in Colossae reveal several keys for healthy growth of the body of Christ (i.e. the church of Christ - see Ephesians 1:22-23).

1. Mutual encouragement among members is essential to to being "knit together in love" (v. 2a).
2. Unity in the body will ensure the attainment of the goal of all God's people -- spiritual riches, assurance, understanding, and knowledge (v. 2b).
3. Without the Head (i.e. Christ), the body (i.e. church) cannot truly function (v. 19a).
4. When the church is nourished by Christ and bound together by the joints and ligaments of brotherly love, all growth will be Godly growth (v. 19b).
5. This being the case, sound (i.e. healthy) doctrine (i.e. teaching) and mutual love amongst the people of God are both indespensable components of the life and growth of the body of Christ.

How have you shown your love for Christ and your spiritual family today? How can you better serve the Head (Christ Jesus) and be those "joints and ligaments" of love that act as a moving, stablizing force in the body of Christ?

I'm thankful for all of you who are striving to this end.

r2

A Position For Everyone

The sport of rugby has been frequently on my mind for the past two months. At almost 30 years of age, I will play my first season of competitive rugby this spring.

I knew very little about this sport, other than what I had seen from watching a collective total of about 30-minutes on television. I played football for many years, and what I saw in rugby was essentially American football without pads. The more I learn about the game of rugby, the more I find out how wrong I was in such an assumption.

American football actually grew out of rugby. When rugby came across the Atlantic from the British isles in the mid-19th century, various changes were made to resemble what we now see in our football games. But good old fashioned rugby has maintained a presence -- albeit much, much smaller -- in the U.S. to this very day.

As I learn the basic laws (yes, they're called "laws," not "rules") and strategies of rugby, I am fascinated to see how much skill, mental focus, and tactical savvy are required to be successful on the rugby pitch (football fans would say "field").

One of the reasons rugby is such a great game that can be enjoyed by anyone is the wide array of skill sets and body types that are fit for competition. Though rugby players are bigger, stronger, and faster than they have ever been, you will still see players who range from hulks to featherweights. Of course, when one of those featherweights gets cornered by one of those hulks, the results usually end up as a bone-crunching highlight on YouTube. Nonetheless, when one of those little guys breaks out into the open, those monstrous front-liners have no chance at running him down.

Rugby is a game that is based on teamwork -- 15 men performing their widely varying roles as individuals with the ultimate goal of helping their fourteen teammates emerge victorious at the end of the game. Usually, the side that plays with the strongest concept of teamwork emerges victorious at the end of 80 minutes.

Thinking about this reminds me of Paul's God-breathed words to the church of first century Corinth (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). Just as a rugby club is made up of many members with varying abilities and duties, the body of Christ (i.e. the church of Christ, Ephesians 1:22-23) is made up of many individual members. Each man and woman whom the Lord has added to the church (Acts 2:47) is vital in the growth and harmony thereof.

Rugby teams filled with selfish players rarely win. Churches filled with self-absorbed, uncaring people are far from what the Lord designed. Are you a member of the Lord's body? If so, are you helping or hindering your spiritual family from attaining "the prize of the upward call" (Philippians 3:14)?

Is your attendance at the assemblies of the church encouraging others in their faithfulness? Is your participation in the evangelistic efforts of the church encouraging the participation of others? Is your giving enabling the church to expand their reach in carrying out "the great commission?" Do your words and attitudes serve to edify (build up) the individual members of your church family?

These and other questions will help you and me in determining the manner in which we are helping (or hindering) the growth of the local body of Christ.

r2

Don't Lose Sight Of The Positives!

Is the church of Jesus Christ facing threats from within? Certainly. Influential individuals and entire congregations have introduced doctrine and practice over the years that have sought to move what should be a body without schism (1 Corinthians 12:25) toward an organization that mirrors the concept of the church in the denominational order of things.

However, great effort must be made not to lose sight of the multitude of positive, Biblical works ongoing in the kingdom of God today. If we are not careful, we can become so "wrapped up" in keeping tabs on those weighing the church down that we overlook or even refuse to see those who are doing great things to build her up! I speak from experience.

The more brethren I meet from across our nation -- yea, across our world -- the more I am encouraged and convinced the church is strong and very active in carrying out her mission. I recently had the opportunity to attend the Polishing The Pulpit seminar in Birmingham, Alabama. I met men and women from all over our own nation, and several who are doing the Lord's work on other continents. We have an abundance of talented people who are serving the Lord and his church in mighty ways. Let us remember to unceasingly pray for the church around the world, and to be active supporters of as many workers for the truth as possible.

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
3 John 5-8

r2

Bidding "God Speed"

This past Saturday, Kelly and I went down to the Richmond Intermediate terminal on the James River to take part in an event dubbed, “Rock The Boat.” This three-day event was in celebration of Richmond’s 400th anniversary. Just 11 days after Captain Christopher Newport and John Smith landed at Jamestowne, a group from that first settlement ventured upriver to the falls of the James. Although the city would not actually be incorporated until years later, this voyage marked the true beginning of what we now know as “River City.”

“Rock The Boat” was an opportunity to see several replicas of the ships these settlers used to make their journeys. One of the three ships that made its way across the Atlantic to Jamestowne in 1607 was the Godspeed. At just 68 feet in length, this 40-ton brigantine was not all that large when compared with some of the other ships of that day. All 39 passengers and 13 sailors she carried on that voyage to the new world were male. The opportunity to see a replica of the vessel that brought the first British settlers to the shores of what would be America was very inspiring.

The evening was capped off by a rousing and impressive performance by the Richmond Symphony. As they wrapped up Tchaikovsky' 1812 Overture, a spectacular fireworks show lit up the night sky. The huge masts of the docked ships on the river were in the foreground, and the skyscrapers of downtown Richmond in the back. It would have made for a poetic photograph showing the past mingling with the present, but our camera battery died.

The tourism tagline for Richmond boasts, “Easy to love.” After five months of living here, it really is hard to argue with such a claim (this is my little plug for our lovely area so you will really think about joining us in November for our lectureship!).

Anyhow, on with the “thinking-food.”

The name “Godspeed” reminded me of the admonition given to us by the Lord in Second John, especially the King James’ translation (who, by the way, was the namesake not only for Jamestowne, but also the James River):

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

2 John 9-11, KJV

Bidding one “God speed” was (and still is in some places) a greeting extended to someone to show support and acceptance. Whether this greeting is put forth verbally or merely by implicative action, there is usually no mistaking the message one intends to convey.

Thus, we must be very careful not to lend our support to the spread of false doctrine by words, co-laboring, or financial means. On the other side of the coin, God’s people ought to be actively seeking works by which we can promote the furtherance of the pure and powerful soul-saving gospel.

Consider the words in the last of John’s three epistles regarding the support of faithful brothers walking in truth…

“Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.”

3 John 8, ESV

Thus, if we love the Lord, his gospel, and souls in need of its power, we will always use care in bidding “God Speed” to the ones whom God approves.

R2