Devotional Sharing Submitted by Pastor Jonathan Lee, Gracepoint Davis.

Reflect on the fact that individual Christians are called to unite to form the body of Christ—i.e., to be Christ to the world today.  What is the personal implication of this for every Christian in terms of his view of himself, how he makes decisions about his life, and how he regards other believers God has placed in the church with him?

One personal implication of a Christian in terms of his view of self is to see self as having significance and worth but all of which are unearned and undeserved.  We are important not because of what we have done to deserve it, but because of God’s generous mercy in blessing us with salvation that allows us to be a part of Christ’s body.  This passage also gives a clear understanding of purpose for one’s existence that goes beyond self-seeking goals—God has brought us together for His purpose to declare the wonders of God (per previous DT’s).  This passage (12:11, 18, 24, 28) reminds us that it is God who gave, arranged, combined, and appointed.  And God gave specifically according to His plan and purpose.  So one implication is that no Christian can have a self-pity party and low self-worth/esteem in view of the body of Christ.

In terms of making decisions about his life, this implies that a Christian should not decide in isolation with just personal goals and plans in mind, but rather, decisions should include the body of Christ.  As a Christian, I am a part of a body of Christ and so I need to think carefully about how my decisions, choices, words, and actions would affect the body of Christ.  When I became a husband, I no longer could do things just based on what I wanted because I was relationally connected to my wife and my decisions would have bearing on her.  And in similar fashion, when I became a Christian, I became connected to the members of the body of Christ and so I must think about the ramifications to the larger body.  I am reminded of the excerpt that we read a while back from Dr. Joe Hellerman’s book,  When the Church was a Family (http://gracepointreadings.org/2010/03/excerpt-when-the-church-was-a-family) where the chapter dealt with how based on historical research on the early church, members of the church ought to make decisions based on commitments to God’s Family first.  This is such a radical paradigm shift for those in the 21st century who are so individualistic but this passage in 1 Corinthians remind us of God’s radical and refreshing plan for the church.

The Christian’s view of other believers God has placed in the church with him should not be one of comparison or competitiveness but rather, should be one of giving and receiving help as members of one body.  Tonight, brothers from Davis will go down to Berkeley to join the special time together.  (Sisters will have their own special time together as well.)  Even in making this happen, there are a lot of members of the body gifted with different talents and functions so that we might experience the strengthening and encouraging that we’re sure to happen tonight.  My best friend Tony is handling all the coordination and logistics for 500+ men!  Matthew is going to make the delicious dinner happen one way or another.  Tech guys will set up all the equipment without which there will only be the sound of silence.    The video crew, the RSF team, the IGSM/Praxis VSM/ECM brothers for the takedown, the testimonies shared, Pastor Ed giving the message, and so many more precious brothers doing as God has appointed.  What a wonderful picture of the body of Christ coming together!  I’m so grateful for all of them and it spurs me on to give even more to the work of the body of Christ, the church!

Format 1: New Format: NIV Bible Text & DT Questions.  DT Week3 Feb7-12_New

New Format

Format 2: NIV Bible Text & DT Questions. DT Week 3 Feb 7-12

Bible Passage and DT Questions

Format 3: NIV Bible Text & DT Questions (side by side).  DT Week 3 Feb7-12 Side by Side

Bible Passage and Questions Side by Side

Format 4: DT Questions Only.  DT Week 3 Feb7-12 Questions Only

DT Questions only. Use your own Bible.

Format 5: DT Text and Questions in Chinese. DT Week3 Feb7-12 Chinese

Format 1: NIV Bible Text & DT Questions. Click here to download.

Bible Passage & DT Questions

Format 2: NIV Bible Text & DT Questions (side by side).  Click here to download.

NIV Passage and Questions Side by Side

Format 3: DT Questions Only.  Click here to download.

DT Questions only. Use your own Bible.

UPDATE: 01/23/11 8:24pm – New file uploaded which has updates to Monday, 01/24, questions (SEE BELOW).

Click here to download the DT packet for Jan 24-29, 2011.

FINALIZED QUESTIONS FOR MONDAY, 01/24

• Consider the questions God asks in this text. (3.9; 4.9)  How are these questions related?
• What relational consequences of sin emerge from this text?
• Why is it that asserting yourself in defiance of God’s right to determine good and evil inevitably leads to restlessness, wandering, fear, isolation and strife?
• Given all that sin destroys in human life, what would life look like for each of sin’s damages to be reversed?

Luke 1:58-59

Why did the neighbors and relatives want to name the infant Zechariah? Because they wanted to name him after his father.

What does this express about the extent of their vision for what the baby would one day become? This reveals how they just envisioned this baby to be simply the joy and pride of his father and mother.  They did not expect a grander destiny and purpose for his life.  They didn’t suspect at all that he would grow up to be someone who would fulfill God’s prophecy of being a forerunner to the Christ.  God’s vision for this child was clearly different from the expectations of what the “norm” was.  God signals this difference in instructing Zechariah and Elizabeth to name him John, which means “God’s gracious gift”.  And indeed he grew up to be a gracious gift and blessing for many as he prepared their hearts to receive their Messiah, the Savior of the world.

Are there ways in which I allow my background or others’ limited expectations to define the boundaries of what God wants to do in and through my life? In the past I had such a narrow and limited view of my life.  When I first became Christian, I was just desperate to find some peace in myself and in my family.  I just wanted some way to escape the hurts, disappointments and insecurities about my self-worth.  I had little room in my mind and heart to look beyond my own problems, let alone consider God’s grander purpose for my life.  Most of my relatives and family friends would generally commend me to study hard, get into a good school, land a well paying, prestigious career, find a good spouse, have kids and basically live out the “American dream”.

My whole focus and passion in life would’ve been reduced to just my own nuclear family.  It’s an uninspired life that would’ve led me to boredom and a restlessness.  Knowing myself, I think I would’ve gotten into video games or some other form of addictive behavior to pour my passions into.  I would’ve also lived a life that aspires to do nothing more than to have my son carry my name on into his generation, so that I may have the satisfaction of some weak form of transcendence.

And most likely the legacy of an uninspired, bored life would’ve been passed on to my son.

But God had other plans for my life.  It’s a life that has a “God sized” perspective and vision of affecting not just my nuclear family but many other people God considers His sons and daughters.

The life God has handed me is something I lacked the perspective and imagination to even consider.

Thankfully God brought godly “Zechariah like” people in my life to speak God’s words to me.  People like my old youth teachers, the traveling youth evangelist who led me to Christ and the many leaders of our church.  God’s words were not only spoken to me, but also demonstrated powerfully to me.  If it were not for the older ones like Rick Yi and Steve Suh, who graduated a few years ahead of me and stuck around to do college ministry with their peers, I don’t think I would’ve had the inspiration to do the same.  If it were not for Patrick and Jeannie who took on 5 foster kids into their homes even though they had 2 young children of their own, I don’t think my wife and I would’ve had the courage to do the same in taking in 2 foster kids for a year.  If it were not for examples of so many of the older ones in our church like Pastor Ed and Kelly, Chris and Judy, Daemin and Ahmi,  who packed their bags and uprooted themselves to go out to plant churches and serve in foreign mission fields, I don’t think my wife and I would’ve had the boldness and encouragement to obey God’s calling for us to move down from the Bay Area to Riverside to start up a new church.

Though on my own I lacked the holy imagination, the courage and the faith to do much of what I got to experience in the past 14 years since I graduated from college, God intervened to speak and show me His grander perspective and vision to ‘serve him without fear’ through the faithful witness of many my dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

I’m eternally grateful for the great and marvelous things God has done in me and through me over the years.  He has given me a life that is anything but boring and uninspiring!

Luke 1:46-49

• Given the practical implications for Mary of bearing a child out of wedlock, it’s surprising that she rejoices in praise.  What does this show about what Mary regarded as the greatest privilege?  What do I most aspire to?

This time I was struck by Mary’s other-centeredness. She doesn’t display one iota of looking at her situation through the lens of her own life. And this is not from a veteran, aged, godly woman who has lived her entire life with God. No this is amazingly from a teenage girl!

This was great news that God was sending His son into the world as a Savior to die for our sins.  But not necessarily for her. For her, it was going to be very disturbing and threatening.  Her life was going to get messy (to say the least) in a hurry. At worst, she could have been executed for adultery. The way that this was going to devastate her life seems to not be such a relevant factor for Mary as she is able to rejoice in what God is doing for all of mankind. And she is able to somehow see herself as blessed “Mighty One has done great things for me.”  She even says “From now on all generations will call me blessed.”  She displays a sense that she is the most privileged and most blessed person for her God given role, even though it would come at a great personal cost. Far greater than she could have realized at this moment.

For me , I do see what a privilege it is that I can used by God to carry his gospel.  But at the same time, I am so challenged by Mary’s level of complete other-centeredness.  Because for me, I am aware of what personal cost it will entail for me to obey God’s calling.  And I need to battle through those voices of self-preservation and self-interest. And during those times, it’s by remembering people like Mary from the Scriptures, as well as other believers today who are paying much higher cost than me (cf. 1 Peter 5:8-9) that gives me the proper context for my life and reminds me what a privilege it is give of myself for sake of God’s kingdom.

Scholars have observed that Mary’s praise song “echoes language from the Old Testament” (for examples see Ps. 138:6; Ps. 71:19; Ps. 111:9; Ex. 20:6;  Jer. 13:9; Ps. 107:9; 1 Sam. 2:1-10). [1]

Luke 1:46-55

• What impact might Mary’s thorough familiarity with Scriptures have had in shaping her character? How can I apply this to my life?

It’s clear that Mary’s character had been thoroughly forged by Scriptures growing up. It’s not like she had reached this stage of spiritual maturity after many decades of walking with God. She was just a teenager yet somehow she has been able to reach this level of maturity, trust in the Lord, and deep familiarity with the Scriptures. It’s a testament to how much she must have steeped herself in Scriptures.  This is all the more remarkable given the fact that no one had a personal copy of the bible back then. So she must have listened attentively at the synagogue then treasured it in her heart throughout her everyday life, allowing God’s Word to soak into her heart during the course of her everyday life.

I can do lot better in this area. I need to think about Scriptures not just during DT or during message prep but also just throughout the course of everyday life.  As I go through the different events and interactions with people during the day, I can tie it back to that day’s DT or the text we covered in the past weekend’s messages/Bible study.

• Consider the parallel between Mary, whom God used to bring Jesus into the world, and the mission of every Christian.  Do I share in Mary’s sense of joy over the privilege of bringing Jesus into people’s lives?

During this Christmas season, I see the parallel between Mary and what our church plant have been called to do in Minneapolis. Like Mary, our live trajectories have definitely been altered by God’s calling. Everyone one our team moved 2000 miles, switched jobs with couple of our members finally got jobs after months of looking, are coping with missing friends back home and are learning to adjust to life in Minnesota . And like Mary, we have been given the amazing privilege of bringing Jesus into people’s lives.  We see the great need for non-Christians who need to hear the gospel as well as for Christians who need to be raised up and discipled in their faith. Through it all, what has carried us through the homesickness and discouraging times is the huge sense of privilege that we feel in bringing Jesus into people’s lives. And that makes whatever adjustments in our lives that we had to make well worth it. What a privilege it is that we get to be used by God in this way!