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add other discussion questions, or substitute other questions for the marked ones, at their discretion.
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"A church plagued by immoral behavior"
Tuesday, 24 October 2017
Revelation 2:12 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Pergamum, write: ‘Here is the message from the one who has the sharp double-edged sword: 13 “I know where you are living, there where the Adversary’s throne is. Yet you are holding onto my name. You did not deny trusting me even at the time when my faithful witness Antipas was put to death in your town, there where the Adversary lives. 14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have some people who hold to the teaching of Bil‘am, who taught Balak to set a trap for the people of Isra’el, so that they would eat food that had been sacrificed to idols and commit sexual sin. 15 Likewise, you too have people who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore, turn from these sins. Otherwise, I will come to you very soon and make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
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We don’t know the specific identity of the “Nicolaitans” (verse 15). But verse 14 spelled out the results of what it called “Balaam’s teaching”—idolatry and sexual immorality. Luther found that too on his 1510 visit to Rome. Bainton wrote, “He need not have been a scandalmonger to know that the district of ill fame was frequented by ecclesiastics. He heard there were those who considered themselves virtuous because they confined themselves to women.” *
• God’s will was clear. The apostle Paul expressed it to the Corinthian Christians in crisp sentences: “Avoid sexual immorality!” and “Honor God with your body.” (You can read the full passage in 1
Corinthians 6:12-20.(1 Corinthians 6:12 You say, “For me, everything is permitted”? Maybe, but not everything is helpful. “For me, everything is permitted”? Maybe, but as far as I am concerned, I am not going to let anything gain control over me. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”? Maybe, but God will put an end to both of them. Anyhow, the body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14 God raised up the Lord, and he will raise us up too by his power.
15 Don’t you know that your bodies are parts of the Messiah? So, am I to take parts of the Messiah and make them parts of a prostitute? Heaven forbid! 16 Don’t you know that a man who joins himself to a prostitute becomes physically one with her? For the Tanakh says, “The two will become one flesh”;[1 Corinthians 6:16 Genesis 2:24] 17 but the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. 18 Run from sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the fornicator sins against his own body. 19 Or don’t you know that your body is a temple for the Ruach HaKodesh who lives inside you, whom you received from God? The fact is, you don’t belong to yourselves; 20 for you were bought at a price. So use your bodies to glorify God..)) But few aspects of God’s will have more often been rationalized away or simply set aside. In a world overrun by sexualized advertising, humor and entertainment, how do the apostle’s crisp expressions speak to your social choices?
• Pastor John Ortberg wrote, “The church has had a history of wrongness and weirdness when it comes to sexuality.” ** The same church that tolerated the priests Luther saw in Rome said a
celibate life was spiritually superior to a faithful, loving marriage (a view from which the mature Luther strongly dissented). How can you, whatever your personal status, honor the healthy place of sex in God’s creation without favoring rampant immorality?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, prophets often used a faithful marriage as an image of the kind of relationship you
want with me, and all your people. Help me carry that principle into all my relationships with other
people. Amen.
* Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950; paperback edition by
Mentor Books, p. 38.
** John Ortberg, Who Is This Man?: The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, p. 147.
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Brandon GregoryBrandon Gregory is a volunteer for the worship and missions teams at Church of the Resurrection. He helps lead worship at Vibe, West and Downtown services, and is involved with the Malawi missions team at home.
American prisoners of war in the Vietnam War found themselves in an interesting situation. Their captors made no efforts to torture or threaten them. Instead, they gave them little contests to keep them entertained. The North Vietnamese captors would announce an essay contest (with prizes) where the Americans could write about a political topic—with the caveat that the judges favored pro-Communism essays. So the prisoners wrote their essays, and the pro-Communism essays often won. When the prisoners received their prize, they were told they could get an extra prize simply for signing their name on the paper. Most complied. Some were offered an even bigger prize if they read their essay aloud over the loudspeaker. Most complied. This went on regularly for their entire captivity.
It wasn’t until the war was over and the prisoners were freed that the full effects of the essay contests was realized. Some of the prisoners didn’t want to go home—they had accepted Communism and wanted to stay and be a part of it. Of the prisoners who did return home, most remained sympathetic to Communism and skeptical of their involvement in the war. Those tiny, seemingly insignificant concessions they had made in concentration camps eventually led to major shifts in mindset that stuck with them for years.
In today’s passage (Revelation 2:12-16), John writes to the church in Pergamum, admonishing them for keeping their faith even while “living right where Satan’s throne is.” The implication is that they were living in enemy territory, so to speak. And while living there, some had begun to make small concessions in their lives based on local thought and teachings. Maybe the locals were trying to win the Christians over to their way of thought, or maybe they were just trying to normalize their own behaviors, or maybe they were even intentionally working to sabotage the church—we ultimately don’t know from the text—but the end result is that little by little, small concession by small concession, the Christians there were being won over to an opposing way of thought.
It can be easy to look at someone who has gone astray and wonder what got them there. In most cases, it wasn’t a big choice they made but long string of small choices that slowly changed their hearts. And that can easily happen to any of us. We can grow to be unloving by slowly demonizing another group of people. We can grow to be immoral by finding good reasons to take each small step that gets us there. We can grow to be apathetic by choosing not to care one small situation at a time. Every little choice we make matters, so it’s important to choose good even when the consequences seem minimal.
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"Lukewarm, poor, blind—and proud"
Wednesday, 25 October 2017
Revelation 3:14 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Laodicea, write: ‘Here is the message from the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the Ruler of God’s creation: 15 “I know what you are doing: you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth! 17 For you keep saying, ‘I am rich, I have gotten rich,[Revelation 3:17 Hosea 12:9(8)] I don’t need a thing!’ You don’t know that you are the one who is wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked! 18 My advice to you is to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich; and white clothing, so that you may be dressed and not have to be ashamed of your nakedness; and eyesalve to rub on your eyes, so that you may see.
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Rome proudly claimed many religious relics. They included 28 steps, supposedly from Pontius Pilate’s palace. A papal decree said anyone climbing the steps on hands and knees released a soul from purgatory. “[Luther] was climbing Pilate’s stairs on hands and knees repeating a Pater Noster [Latin—“Our father”] for each one and kissing each step for good measure in the hope of delivering a soul from purgatory…. At the top Luther raised himself and exclaimed....’Who knows whether it is so?’ That was the truly disconcerting doubt.” *
Ø Few churches today, especially in North America, have “relics,” and they don’t tend to make excessive spiritual claims for any they do have. Nearly every church, however, includes some members who respond to every new idea with “We’ve always done it this way” or the like. How can your congregation honor its history and traditions without turning them into “relics” that compromise and cripple its ability to minister to today’s world?
• Historian Roland Bainton noted, “Catholic historians recognize candidly the scandal of the Renaissance popes.” ** The purpose of studying the history of Luther’s Reformation is not to condemn those who honestly serve God in the Roman Catholic faith. It is to remind all Christians, in all denominations, of the ways in which we individually and corporately can stray from God’s ideals. Are there any areas in which your faith has grown lukewarm? What steps can you take (with God) to “re-heat” it?
Prayer: Lord God, it’s all too easy to drift into habits and patterns that grow detached from your
purposes. Keep me attuned to you, so that I never coast into spiritual lukewarmness. Amen.
* Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950; paperback edition by
Mentor Books, p. 38.
** Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950; paperback edition by
Mentor Books, p. 38.
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"Shepherds enriching themselves at the expense of the sheep"
Thursday, 26 October 2017
Ezekiel 34:1 The word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, prophesy against the shepherds of Isra’el. Prophesy! Tell them, the shepherds, that Adonai Elohim says this: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Isra’el who feed themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the choice meat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, and you slaughter the best of the herd; but you don’t feed the sheep! 4 You don’t strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bandage the broken, bring back the outcasts or seek the lost; on the contrary, you tyrannize them with crushing force. 5 So they were scattered, without a shepherd, and became food for every wild animal — they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered around aimlessly on every mountain and hill; yes, my sheep were scattered all over the land, with no one to search for them or look after them.
7 “‘Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of Adonai: 8 “As I live,” Adonai Elohim swears, “because my sheep have become prey, my sheep have become food for every wild animal, since there was no shepherd, since my shepherds didn’t look for my sheep, and instead my shepherds fed themselves but not my sheep,”
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A big reason Luther posted his 95 Theses in 1517 was the sale of “indulgences.” The pope would “pardon” some or all of a person’s time in purgatory (itself an extra-Biblical idea), and sell the pardons to finance various projects. Salesmen urged peasants to buy indulgences to release their loved ones from purgatory. Luther boldly challenged them: “Why doesn’t the pope build the basilica of St. Peter’s out of his own money? He is richer than Croesus…. If the pope knew the exactions of these [indulgence] vendors, he would rather that St. Peter’s should lie in ashes than that it should be built out of the blood and hide of his sheep.” *
• Luther was trying to be generous. Pope Leo X knew clearly what was going on. Historian Bainton said he was “as elegant and as indolent as a Persian cat.” He quoted Catholic historian Ludwig von Pastor as saying Leo X’s papacy “was one of the most severe trials to which God ever subjected his church.” ** Yet few people, even those who saw clearly the spiritual hollowness of the medieval church, were at first willing to stand with Luther to say Scripture should be valued more highly than deference to a wealthy, powerful pope. This isn’t a simple black-and-white issue. When, or on what kinds of issues, should we honor and defer to leaders even if we disagree with them? When is it worth saying, like Luther later did, “Here I stand. I can do no other”?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, your brother James wrote that you will give me wisdom when I ask (cf. James 1:5). Help me to know, with your wisdom, when and where to give my allegiance. Amen.
* Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950; paperback edition by
Mentor Books, p. 61.
** Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950; paperback edition by
Mentor Books, p. 56.
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"God gives us more grace—submit to God"
Friday, 27 October 2017
James 4:4 You unfaithful wives! Don’t you know that loving the world is hating God? Whoever chooses to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy! 5 Or do you suppose the Scripture speaks in vain when it says that there is a spirit in us which longs to envy? 6 But the grace he gives is greater, which is why it says,
“God opposes the arrogant,
but to the humble he gives grace.”[James 4:6 Proverbs 3:34]
7 Therefore, submit to God. Moreover, take a stand against the Adversary, and he will flee from you.
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Luther didn’t merely protest poor church practices. His deeper concern was that indulgences, relics, confession and the like led people to trust in their own activity instead of God’s grace. “He began to hear a new voice in the very texts of Scripture he was poring over…Luther was surprised to find what he called ‘the gospel,’ as something apart from ‘the law.’ Christ alone makes sinners right with God through faith only…. Then he was quickly led to a series of amazing conclusions about the church practices he grew up with.” *
Ø One crucial principle at Resurrection, of which Pastor Hamilton frequently reminds us, is that Jesus is the head of the church. Jesus called it “my church,” (cf. Matthew 16:18), and Ephesians clearly identified Christ as “the head” (cf. Ephesians 4:15-16). So James, like Luther, called Christfollowers to “submit to God,” rather than pursuing the ways of the world. In what ways have you
faced that choice during your spiritual journey?
• James, who is sometimes misread as saying we can try to earn God’s favor by being good, said God “gives us more grace.” The actions to which he called his readers (cf. James 2:14-18) were active expressions of gratitude for God’s saving grace, not in any sense a means of earning God’s favor. How can you use your gifts actively in God’s service, while never slipping into a belief that your service earns God’s grace rather than growing out the abundance of grace?
Prayer: God, when I need it, you always give me more grace. Thank you for your amazing patience
and forgiveness. Help me to live out your gift by blessing others in any ways you give me the gifts to do so. Amen.
* Steven Paulson, Luther for Armchair Theologians. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p. 7.
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"A plea to return to God’s ways"
Saturday, 28 October 2017
Hosea 14:1 (13:16) Shomron will bear her guilt,
for she has rebelled against her God.
They will fall by the sword,
their little ones will be dashed to pieces
and their pregnant women ripped open.
2 (1) Return, Isra’el, to Adonai your God,
for your guilt has made you stumble.
3 (2) Take words with you, and return to Adonai;
say to him, “Forgive all guilt,
and accept what is good;
we will pay instead of bulls
[the offerings of] our lips.
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As Luther more fully internalized his understanding of God’s gracious ways, he became more prophetic in challenging medieval practices like selling indulgences to release souls from purgatory. At one point, he wrote, “If the pope does have the power to release anyone from purgatory, why in the name of love does he not abolish purgatory by letting everyone out? If for the sake of miserable money he released uncounted souls, why should he not for the sake of most holy love empty the place?” * It was unimaginable that the gracious God would sell spots in heaven to raise money. How, then, did the church, called to be the body of Christ, dare to act in ways God would not act?
Ø God’s people have needed to listen to Hosea’s heartfelt plea (“Return, Israel, to the Lord your God”) many times through the centuries. As we remember Luther’s powerful living out of that plea
500 years ago, we are challenged to look at our own lives, and those of the churches in which we worship God. Are we living lives that share the light of God’s grace with everyone with whom we come in contact? Are we organizing and sustaining our church activities in ways that express God’s wonderful grace?
Prayer: Great God, you always stand ready to flood our hurting world with your grace. Keep me and my church open and receptive to living out that grace in all we do and say about you. Amen.
* Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950; paperback edition by
Mentor Books, p. 62.
Family Activity: What is your family’s experience of going to church each week? Are you excited, joyful and gracious to one another? Do you complain about the weather and the walk from the parking lot? Are you struggling to get dressed and out the door on time? Is your home filled with words of encouragement, or frustrated, hurried words? To remind yourselves that you are going to worship our
gracious God, consider playing some praise music as you prepare. Maybe you could say a prayer for a soft heart and positive spirit the afternoon or evening before you go. Read a story from the Bible to help center your mind on God. Nothing works perfectly in family life, but choose one way to try this week to help all of you appreciate a more grace-filled experience in God’s house!
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Carol Beasley and family on the death of her mother Evelyn Spangler, 10/15
• Bill Walters and family on the death of his father Robert W. “Bob” Walters, 10/11
• Jason Orenzoff and family on the death of his mother Pauline Quickel, 10/11
• Roxanne Petter and family on the death of her mother Madge Broz, 10/9
• Patsy Shipley and family on the death of her mother Mary Lee Lockard, 10/5
• Christal Heier and family on the death of her grandmother Mary Lee Lockard, 10/5
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©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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