Sayre Woods Bible Church

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” (122:6-8)

As the people journey to Jerusalem it seems obvious why they would pray for the peace of Jerusalem. It was their capital city and the center of their religion. To lose Jerusalem would be to lose everything. In fact, when Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC by the Babylonians, it was the ultimate judgment of God. Jerusalem has never fully recovered from this blow.

But I believe Scripture includes this command to pray for Jerusalem for a greater reason. Jerusalem is the centerpiece of God’s plan for history. Jerusalem means “city of peace” or “city of shalom.” It is first encountered when Melchizedek (meaning “king of righteousness”) blesses Abram after his rescue of Lot. Melchizedek is said to be the “king of Salem” (Jerusalem) and he brings bread and wine to Abraham and Abraham submits to him.

Later in Genesis 22, Abraham isinstructed to offer his beloved son Isaac on Mount Moriah, another name for the mount of Jerusalem. God intervenes at the last moment and provides a substitute sacrifice. From then on, the place is called “on the mount of the Lord it will be provided.” The temple of Solomon would be built on this very spot (2 Chron 3:1).

David conquers the city of Jerusalem early in his reign and makes it the capital city of Israel. David’s throne is in Jerusalem and God promises that the coming Messiah, the son of David, will rule from David’s throne in Jerusalem. In messianic hope, Jerusalem was often called the city of David, Mount Zion (the throne of God) or Ariel (city of righteousness)

Since the time of David and Solomon, the city of peace has known little peace. In fact, it has often been at the center of worldwide conflict. Zechariah says that in the last days, Jerusalem will be a “cup of reeling” that makes all the nations stumble as they struggle to control her and bring her peace. However, lasting peace will not come until Jesus Christ, the Son of David, returns and sets his feet on the Mount of Olives. “On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem…The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. …Jerusalem will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure” (Zechariah 14:8-9, 11).

So praying for the peace of Jerusalem is praying for the peace of the whole world. It is praying that the Prince of Peace will return and set this world aright. It is praying “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” It is praying, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”

Today begins our weeklong reading of the Songs of Ascent in the book of Psalms. If you have gotten off track, now is a good time to get back on!

Here is the schedule for the week: Monday (120-121), Tuesday (122-123), Wednesday (124-125), Thursday (126-128), Friday (129-130), Saturday (131-132), and Sunday (133-134).

The Songs of Ascent are a collection of Psalms that were sung as the people made their way to Jerusalem. Every Israelite was required to come to Jerusalem at least three times per year (Deut. 16:16)–once for the Feast of Unleavened Bread/Passover (March), once for the Feast of Harvest/Pentecost (May), and once for the Feast of Tabernacles (September). As they made their way to Jerusalem (ascending since the city sits on a small mountain), they were to sing these songs.

Here is the reading that encouraged me today:

Too long I have lived among those who hate peace. I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war. I lift up my eyes to the hills–where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 120:6-7, 121:1-2)

It is interesting that the Songs of Ascent begin here. Too long I have lived among those who hate peace. The Psalms pull no punches. Life is a battle. Often we are surrounded by people who seem to want conflict. No matter what we say, it is turned against us. We desire peace, fullness, wholeness. But life in this world makes it hard, if not impossible, to experience.

So what are we to do? Despair? Complain? Murmur? No. We are to lift up our eyes to the hills. We are to look toward Jerusalem. We are to look toward the LORD and remind ourselves that our help comes from Him, the Maker of heaven and earth, the One who is ultimately in control. We are to take our eyes off our problems and focus them on the grace, truth, love, and power of God.

I am drawn to the fact that the Israelites made their way to Jerusalem at least three times a year. Three times a year they were required to drop the grind of daily life and make their way to Jerusalem to remember, to fellowship, and to rejoice. In fact, they were commanded to rejoice. Be joyful at your Feast–you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns (Deut. 16:14).

No one was exempt from celebrating, not even the fatherless and the widows. God knows that we have a tendency to get stuck in our routines, to let life wear us down, to focus on our problems and conflicts. So what does He do? He establishes three main feasts and says, “Stop what you are doing. Pick up your family and take a road trip to Jerusalem. And on the way, sing!”

It is so easy for me to get bogged down in life. Responsibilities are everywhere. The schedule is busy. Demands from people are constantly coming. And my own perfectionism often drives me away from joy. Yet in the midst of this I often comfort myself by saying, “But I am serving the Lord!” Well, if I have lost my joy, then I am not really serving the Lord. I am serving my pride or the expectations of others or guilt or some other false motivation. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit and God wants me to serve Him in joy. That’s why He told the Israelites to take a break three times a year and celebrate. I need to do the same.

Lord, I lift my eyes up to You today and I choose to celebrate!

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14)

This passage summarizes the entire gospel message:

God’s grace has appeared. Jesus Christ manifested the love of God to the world. We can hear someone say that they love us but until they demonstrate it it is often hard to believe them. God demonstrated His love for us by taking on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and dying in our place. No greater love could be displayed.

God’s grace brings salvattion. We are saved through the grace of God not through our good works, church association, family background, etc.

God’s grace has appeared to all men. God has manifested His grace to all. Jesus is “the Savior of all men” (1 Timothy 4:10)–not that all men are saved but that God’s grace reaches out to all men.

God’s grace teaches us to reject sin and live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives. God’s grace meets us where we are but does not leave us where we are. It changes us from the inside out, teaching us to say “no” to sin and “yes” to God’s righteousness.

God’s grace redeems us, purifies us, and adopts us. We are taken from the pit of sin, cleansed and renewed, and brought into the family of God–”a people that are His very own.”

God’s grace leads to good works. A true understanding of God’s grace will not lead us to sin–”Hey, I am forgiven so now I can do what I want!”–but rather motivate us to live a life of grace and goodness before others. It is the same with my wife. She has committed her life to me and vowed to love me unconditionally. I would be a fool to take advantage of that love by living in a harmful, hurtful way to her. Instead, her love for me motivates me to love her even more.

God’s grace looks up! Living in this present world can be difficult and discouraging; that is why we keep our eyes on the skies, waiting for “the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Every day we need to remind ourselves of God’s grace. In Christ, I am loved unconditionally, redeemed from sin’s bondage, purified by the Spirit, adopted into a family, empowered to live a holy life, and encouraged by the hope of Christ’s return. Thank You, Lord!

Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” (Titus 1:12)

“Welcome to Crete! Home of notorious liars, evil brutes, and lazy gluttons.” I doubt that sign graced the port at Crete but apparently there was great truth in the statement.

Crete is a large island off the coasts of Greece and Turkey. In Paul’s day, it had a less than savory reputation. Its people were described as liars, brutes, and gluttons. In a word, they acted like animals, doing what they wanted when they pleased. As someone observed regarding Cretan behavior: “Cretans hated to work but loved to eat. They were self-indulgent, greedy, lustful, overfed and in poor physical condition.” Sound familiar?

How do you impact such a culture for Christ? That was Titus’ challenge as a young pastor on the island of Crete. Paul writes to him and tells him how he can lead the church in Crete to make a difference for Christ.

What is the first item on Paul’s culture-impacting agenda? Godly leadership. Leaders set the tone for the congregation and represent the church to the community. Whether on a national scale or a local one, people often judge Christianity by what they see in Christian leaders.

So what are the characteristics of godly leadership? Paul gives Titus a very similar description as he gave Timothy. Godly leaders are…

• Family-centered. They work hard to build up their marriage and train up their children.
• Self-controlled. Avoiding angry outbursts, violence, drunkenness or greed.
• Gentle and hospitable. Not overbearing but loving people by opening up their lives and their homes to others.
• Disciplined and knowledgeable. Living daily for Christ through Bible study and prayer and able to encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

It is interesting that Paul starts here. It reminds me that true church health and growth do not happen through impressive marketing, exciting services, great programs, big budgets, or charismatic leadership. These things can be important and helpful to a church. But true health begins with godly leadership living simple, godly lives on a daily basis before and with the people in their congregation. This is where church health and growth starts but it is not the complete picture. Paul gives more details in chapters two and three….

Though chapter one is focused on godly leadership, I think all of us can learn several things from this chapter…pray for leadership (I know I need your prayers!)…encourage leadership…develop leadership (this is why children’s and youth ministries are so vital)…and be a person that models leadership (because we are all leaders in some capacity and God may call you to serve in a leadership role now or in the future).

Father, protect the leadership at SWBC. Continue to raise up godly leadership within this church and use us to impact the culture around us for Your glory.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. (4:1-2)

Being a pastor, this passage certainly sticks out to me. As Paul faces imminent death at the hands of Nero, he gives his final charge to Timothy. He is passing the baton to the next runner in the race. And what is on Paul’s mind before he hands off the baton? “Preach the Word!” I have always heard that you need to keep the main thing the main thing. According to Paul, the main thing is knowing and faithfully preaching/teaching God’s Word to others. It is God’s Word, taught with “great patience and careful instruction,” that corrects, rebukes, and encourages us.

Why are we to keep God’s Word as our focus?

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (4:3-4)

It is human nature to want to hear what we want to hear. Many times when we go for advice, we go to someone whom we think will tell us what we want to hear. Changing how we think or live is hard stuff; therefore we usually avoid it and seek out alternatives that require less personal change. Paul indicates that in the future this tendency will become magnified as people will become even more self-absorbed and more unwilling to hear correction or rebuke, especially from God’s Word. “Who are you to judge me and tell me that what I am doing is wrong?” I think we have arrived at that age. Thus Paul says it is imperative to know sound doctrine, teach it, and live it.

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (4:5)

The “but you” stands out. No matter what the world or anybody else does, you follow after God. What does following after God look like in such a world?

• Keep your head in all situations. Be clear-minded. Don’t get sidetracked or go off on tangents. Stay balanced and focused. (Sounds like 1 Peter 4:7 again!)
• Endure hardship. If you are going to go against the world system and “political correctness,” then be prepared for some rough roads.
• Do the work of an evangelist. Keep living and sharing your faith with others as opportunity allows. Don’t let intimidation or opposition silence your witness.
• Discharge all the duties of your ministry. Use your gifts and keep serving others.

In the end, such a life grows in intimacy toward Jesus Christ, impacts the lives of others, and receives God’s reward (4:6-8).

Lord, thank You for Your grace and great patience with me. Increase my knowledge and love of You and Your Word. Give me courage to stand for You. Use me to make a difference in this world, one life at a time.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days… (3:1)

My heart is heavy this morning as I think about the Amish girls brutally shot yesterday by a man apparently carrying some kind of 30 year old grudge.

People will be…withouth love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good… (3:3)

Why carry around a 30 year old grudge? Why let anger and bitterness eat away at you for so long? Why destroy yourself and destroy others? It makes no sense. Something is wrong with the heart of man. I have to check my own heart because I can let sin invade and destroy me as well.

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (3:12-13)

This is not a promise that we like to quote alot but it is a reality of life. The more we live for Christ, the more we pursue holiness and righteousness, the more we will stand in contrast to a world progressively running away from God. Jesus reminded us of the same thing. If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first (John 15:18). The hatred will come because of who we are and what we stand for. It should not come because we are obnoxious and lack tact and love. So how do we live in this world that is delving deeper and deeper into sin?

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (3:14-17)

Paul tells us that in spite of what the world may do…continue in what you have learned. Trust God’s Word. Know God’s Word. Follow God’s Word. Why do we follow God’s Word? Because it is breathed out by God. It is true. It is living and active. It is useful for daily living. It teaches us how to think, how to act, how to respond. It equips us for every good work. God has not promised that life would be easy or that the world would be safe and friendly but He has promised to equip us through His Word and empower us through His Spirit. What are we equipped and empowered to do? Good works. Comforting those who need comfort. Praying for those in need. Serving the weak. Encouraging the discouraged. Loving the unlovable. That is how we live in difficult times.

Lord, thank You for Your Word. Give me strength to follow You and to serve others in the midst of a world that often seems to have gone mad.