Jesus loves all people.
Jesus loves every member of the human race regardless of who they are, where they live, or what their lives are like.
Jesus’ love for us as humans beings is not based on how we behave. It is not based on whether we love Him or not.
Jesus, though He loves all people, has a special relationship with His people, the church.
The church is the Body of Christ, and as the Body of Christ we relate to Jesus in a different way than those who are not part of the Body of Christ.
Jesus loves to bless people.
Jesus especially likes to bless His church, His body.
Ephesians 4:11
It was He who gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.
God has gifted the church with:
Apostles - ones sent to those who have never heard the Gospel message
Prophets - ones sent to the people of God to move them back into the ways and purposes of God
Evangelists - ones who have the gift of sharing their Jesus story and seeing people respond positively
Pastors - ones who shepherd a local group of God’s people
Teachers - ones who instruct others in God’s Word
These people are gifts to the Body of Christ.
There are five purposes given for these gifts to the church.
Ephesians 4:12a
To prepare God’s people for works of service.
#1: To prepare God’s people for service
God’s people are to be servants.
Matthew 23:11
The greatest among you will be your servant.
Jesus calls all of His followers to be servants. All are ministers.
I often ask our church how many ministers we have. They have learned at least to say, “All of us.” Our church has two pastors but hundreds of ministers.
Matthew 20:28
Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.
Our example of how to be a servant is Jesus.
The Body of Christ is to do what Jesus did: serve.
Our lives should shout the gospel.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is serving others in the name of Jesus and in the power of Jesus.
Ephesians 4:12b
So that the Body of Christ may be built up.
#2: To build up the Body of Christ
Every living organism grows.
The church as the Body of Christ is a living organism. The church is to grow.
The church is to grow in:
Size
Spiritual Depth
Love
Passion
Joy
Peace
Hope
Faith
Grace
Knowledge
2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Our growth as individuals and as the church glorifies God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about growing to be more like Jesus.
Ephesians 4:13a
Till we all reach unity in the faith
#3: To bring the church to unity in the faith
John 17:23
I in them and you in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent Me and have loved them even as you have loved Me.
There are two marks of His followers that Jesus said would let the world know Him:
Love
Unity
When the world sees the unity of the Body of Christ, it shouts that more than human effort and resources are at work. It shows Jesus to the world.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being in unity, oneness, with Jesus and with each other as His followers.
Ephesians 4:13b
And in the knowledge of the Son of God
#4: To complete the knowledge of the church about Jesus
We as the church are to:
Preach Jesus
Teach Jesus
Sing Jesus
Share Jesus
Serve Jesus
Live Jesus
The church is the Body of Christ and Jesus is the Head of the church. The church is to be all about Jesus.
The focus of the church is not about:
Politics
Entertainment
Social Change
Social Gatherings
Moral Goodness
All of these will be affected, but they are not the focus of the church. The focus of the church is Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is making everything focus on Jesus, revolving around Jesus, and flowing out of Jesus.
Ephesians 4:13c
And become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ
#5: To become mature and full in Jesus
When our son was born, God impressed upon me that I was not raising a child. I had a child, but I was raising a person who would become an adult.
Jesus wants to mature each of His followers and thus His church to grow up and be like Him.
The way that happens is for us to be full of Jesus.
Colossians 1:27
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches if this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
We are full of Jesus as the Holy Spirit continually fills us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is growing each day to be more like Jesus by being filled up with the Holy Spirit.
As the Church, Being Gifted by God to Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls
Joe
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Who God Says the Church Is
The church is not an organization. It is a living organism.
The church is the people. In Ephesians 4 Paul talks about the church.
In Ephesians 4:1 Paul identifies himself as a prisoner for the Lord. Paul was in prison because of his faith in Jesus. He saw this not in a negative sense but in a very positive way.
In Ephesians 4:1-3, four characteristics of followers of Jesus are given.
Ephesians 4:1b
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
We are to live in such a way that our lives reflect the truth of who Jesus really is.
In Acts 1:8 Jesus says that His followers will be witnesses for Him. When we claim the name of Jesus, every area of life will either reflect the true picture of who Jesus is or a false picture of who Jesus is.
Paul is encouraging us for our lives to reflect the truth of who Jesus is and thus honor Him. Our lives as followers of Jesus are to show how worthy He is.
Ephesians 4:2a
Be completely humble and gentle
We who are followers of Jesus are to be humble and treat other others with gentleness.
Humbleness is our attitude and actions before God.
Gentleness is our attitude and actions before people.
Humbleness is when we acknowledge our struggles and come before God and seek His mercy.
Gentleness is seeing each other as fellow strugglers, then loving, not condemning each other.
Notice it says be completely humble and gentle. We are not to try and fake these characteristics.
Ephesians 4:2b
Bearing with one another in love
Being humble and gentle then leads us to the practical aspect of bearing with each other in love.
Judging each other is easy. It takes no effort or discernment. Judging is looking solely on the outward appearance and making no effort to understand or help.
We as followers of Jesus are called to encourage, support, and love - not judge.
Ephesians 4:2b
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is to be a unity among the followers of Jesus.
Unity in this passage means to be one.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the Holy Spirit manifesting the character of Jesus in us as His followers.
What areas are we to be one in?
Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism , one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all, and in all.
We are to be one in:
The Body of Christ
The Holy Spirit
Hope
The Lord Jesus
Faith
Baptism
God and Father.
What allows us to be in that kind of oneness? The fact that God the Father is:
Over All
Through All
In All
The unifying factor is not our:
Style of Worship
Church Structure
Church Ministries
Name of Church
The unifying factor is God the Father.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is God the Father uniting us as one with Him and each other.
The church also experiences the gift of grace from God.
Ephesians 4:7
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned.
Grace is God loving us, not based on us but based on Him.
Grace is God loving us all the time regardless of our behavior.
Grace is God never abandoning us.
Grace is God sending His Son, Jesus, to die for us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing the grace of God every day.
Ephesians 4:8-10
This is why it says, “When he ascended on high, He led captives in His train and gave gifts to men.” (What does “He ascended” mean except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
God is higher than us. His ways and His thoughts are higher and better than ours.
But the awesome thing about God is that His being higher and better than us does not stop Him from loving us and being present with us. God the Son, Jesus, became one of us. He took on our limitations, our struggles, our temptations, and eventually our sins.
We are shown a picture of that in the Old Testament.
Isaiah 57:15 tells us who God is, where He dwells, and what He does.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing and experiencing God’s presence in our life every day.
God the Father envisioned the church.
God the Son established the church.
God the Holy Spirit energizes the church.
The living organism called the church is all about God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit working in and through His people.
Displaying Jesus’ Character While Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
The church is the people. In Ephesians 4 Paul talks about the church.
In Ephesians 4:1 Paul identifies himself as a prisoner for the Lord. Paul was in prison because of his faith in Jesus. He saw this not in a negative sense but in a very positive way.
In Ephesians 4:1-3, four characteristics of followers of Jesus are given.
Ephesians 4:1b
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
We are to live in such a way that our lives reflect the truth of who Jesus really is.
In Acts 1:8 Jesus says that His followers will be witnesses for Him. When we claim the name of Jesus, every area of life will either reflect the true picture of who Jesus is or a false picture of who Jesus is.
Paul is encouraging us for our lives to reflect the truth of who Jesus is and thus honor Him. Our lives as followers of Jesus are to show how worthy He is.
Ephesians 4:2a
Be completely humble and gentle
We who are followers of Jesus are to be humble and treat other others with gentleness.
Humbleness is our attitude and actions before God.
Gentleness is our attitude and actions before people.
Humbleness is when we acknowledge our struggles and come before God and seek His mercy.
Gentleness is seeing each other as fellow strugglers, then loving, not condemning each other.
Notice it says be completely humble and gentle. We are not to try and fake these characteristics.
Ephesians 4:2b
Bearing with one another in love
Being humble and gentle then leads us to the practical aspect of bearing with each other in love.
Judging each other is easy. It takes no effort or discernment. Judging is looking solely on the outward appearance and making no effort to understand or help.
We as followers of Jesus are called to encourage, support, and love - not judge.
Ephesians 4:2b
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is to be a unity among the followers of Jesus.
Unity in this passage means to be one.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the Holy Spirit manifesting the character of Jesus in us as His followers.
What areas are we to be one in?
Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism , one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all, and in all.
We are to be one in:
The Body of Christ
The Holy Spirit
Hope
The Lord Jesus
Faith
Baptism
God and Father.
What allows us to be in that kind of oneness? The fact that God the Father is:
Over All
Through All
In All
The unifying factor is not our:
Style of Worship
Church Structure
Church Ministries
Name of Church
The unifying factor is God the Father.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is God the Father uniting us as one with Him and each other.
The church also experiences the gift of grace from God.
Ephesians 4:7
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned.
Grace is God loving us, not based on us but based on Him.
Grace is God loving us all the time regardless of our behavior.
Grace is God never abandoning us.
Grace is God sending His Son, Jesus, to die for us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing the grace of God every day.
Ephesians 4:8-10
This is why it says, “When he ascended on high, He led captives in His train and gave gifts to men.” (What does “He ascended” mean except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
God is higher than us. His ways and His thoughts are higher and better than ours.
But the awesome thing about God is that His being higher and better than us does not stop Him from loving us and being present with us. God the Son, Jesus, became one of us. He took on our limitations, our struggles, our temptations, and eventually our sins.
We are shown a picture of that in the Old Testament.
Isaiah 57:15 tells us who God is, where He dwells, and what He does.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing and experiencing God’s presence in our life every day.
God the Father envisioned the church.
God the Son established the church.
God the Holy Spirit energizes the church.
The living organism called the church is all about God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit working in and through His people.
Displaying Jesus’ Character While Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, March 13, 2016
My Prayer for the Church
We live in a time of great individualism in our culture. Many people see life as being about them.
Many people see their relationship with Jesus as being also very individualistic. I believe that Scripture teaches that our personal relationship with Jesus is tied in with the church.
Many people are in the church.
Many people attend church.
Many people tolerate the church.
I love the church. I love the local church. I have given the last forty years of my life serving Jesus by serving the local church.
I love the faith family, Church at the Butte, that I currently have the privilege of serving as pastor.
Each day I pray for my faith family. One of the prayers I pray is found in Ephesians 3:14-21.
Ephesians 3:14-15
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
I pray that the church will see ourselves as God’s family.
The church is not an organization. The church is a family.
The church as a family:
Lives Together
Grows Together
Encourages Together
Works Together
Proclaims Together
The church does all of this in the name of God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church being the family of Jesus.
Ephesians 3:16
I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strength you with power through His Spirit in your inner being.
The church is powered by the Holy Spirit.
It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that the church exists.
It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that the church lives, grows, encourages, works, and proclaims.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church experiencing the power of God as we do life together.
Ephesians 3:17a
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
The church is built on faith, faith in Jesus.
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says that He will build His church on the fact that He is the Son of God.
The church is not about faith in:
The Pastor
The Ministries
The People
The Structure.
The church is about faith in Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church living based on faith in Jesus.
Ephesians 3:17b-18
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
The church is about the love of Jesus.
The love of Jesus is to be expressed through the church, His Body.
The love of Jesus as demonstrated by the church is to be shown in all its:
Width
Length
Height
Depth
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church experiencing and expressing the love of Jesus.
Ephesians 3:19
And to know that love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
In Colossians 1:19, Paul says that in Jesus all the fullness of God dwelled.
The church is to be filled with the fullness of Jesus.
The church is to manifest the fullness of Jesus to the world.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church as the Body of Christ being filled with the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:20
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.
The church is not to be confined to human resources, power, or even imagination.
The church has unlimited resources because it has the resources, power, vision of Jesus.
Remember that in Matthew 28:18 Jesus says that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to Him.
And all of the resources, power, and vision of Jesus are at work in and through the church.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church living and working based on the authority of Jesus.
Ephesians 3:21
To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
The church exists to bring glory to the Father.
In John 17:4 Jesus says that He brought glory to the Father by finishing all the work that the Father gave Him to do.
The church as the Body of Christ is to continue to do the work of the Father and that is when the church brings glory to the Father.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church bringing glory to God the Father.
Following Jesus is about being part of a community that loves and follows Jesus. Jesus as our Good Shepherd knows that one sheep separated for the rest of the flock will perish.
We need Jesus.
We need each other.
Together as the Church Raising the Roof and Removing the Wall
Joe
Many people see their relationship with Jesus as being also very individualistic. I believe that Scripture teaches that our personal relationship with Jesus is tied in with the church.
Many people are in the church.
Many people attend church.
Many people tolerate the church.
I love the church. I love the local church. I have given the last forty years of my life serving Jesus by serving the local church.
I love the faith family, Church at the Butte, that I currently have the privilege of serving as pastor.
Each day I pray for my faith family. One of the prayers I pray is found in Ephesians 3:14-21.
Ephesians 3:14-15
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
I pray that the church will see ourselves as God’s family.
The church is not an organization. The church is a family.
The church as a family:
Lives Together
Grows Together
Encourages Together
Works Together
Proclaims Together
The church does all of this in the name of God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church being the family of Jesus.
Ephesians 3:16
I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strength you with power through His Spirit in your inner being.
The church is powered by the Holy Spirit.
It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that the church exists.
It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that the church lives, grows, encourages, works, and proclaims.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church experiencing the power of God as we do life together.
Ephesians 3:17a
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
The church is built on faith, faith in Jesus.
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says that He will build His church on the fact that He is the Son of God.
The church is not about faith in:
The Pastor
The Ministries
The People
The Structure.
The church is about faith in Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church living based on faith in Jesus.
Ephesians 3:17b-18
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
The church is about the love of Jesus.
The love of Jesus is to be expressed through the church, His Body.
The love of Jesus as demonstrated by the church is to be shown in all its:
Width
Length
Height
Depth
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church experiencing and expressing the love of Jesus.
Ephesians 3:19
And to know that love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
In Colossians 1:19, Paul says that in Jesus all the fullness of God dwelled.
The church is to be filled with the fullness of Jesus.
The church is to manifest the fullness of Jesus to the world.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church as the Body of Christ being filled with the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:20
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.
The church is not to be confined to human resources, power, or even imagination.
The church has unlimited resources because it has the resources, power, vision of Jesus.
Remember that in Matthew 28:18 Jesus says that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to Him.
And all of the resources, power, and vision of Jesus are at work in and through the church.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church living and working based on the authority of Jesus.
Ephesians 3:21
To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
The church exists to bring glory to the Father.
In John 17:4 Jesus says that He brought glory to the Father by finishing all the work that the Father gave Him to do.
The church as the Body of Christ is to continue to do the work of the Father and that is when the church brings glory to the Father.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church bringing glory to God the Father.
Following Jesus is about being part of a community that loves and follows Jesus. Jesus as our Good Shepherd knows that one sheep separated for the rest of the flock will perish.
We need Jesus.
We need each other.
Together as the Church Raising the Roof and Removing the Wall
Joe
Sunday, March 6, 2016
The Mystery of the Church
When people use the word mystery, they usually mean something eerie or inscrutable. When the Bible uses the word mystery, it means a truth hidden by God in times past and is now revealed to those who are in His family. It is a “sacred secret” that is unknown to unbelievers, but understood and treasured by the people of God.
In Ephesians 3 Paul talks about a mystery, a truth that God is now revealing to His people.
The mystery: Gentiles are now united to the Jewish believers in one Body, the Church.
In Romans 15:5-6 Paul prays that the God who gives endurance and encouragement would give the church a spirit of unity as they follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth the church would glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Colossians 3:15 Paul says that by God’s peace we have been called to be in one body.
We as God’s people need to see ourselves as one with Him and with each other.
This truth is important to four groups of people.
Ephesians 3:1-5
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles --- Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.
Group #1: Those who by God’s grace have made themselves prisoners of Jesus.
A prisoner is a person who is under the control of someone else.
If we are like Paul, a prisoner of Jesus, then knowing that is essential. Then we will know that we have a whole family of people who, like us, are under the control of Jesus and we can find support and strength from each other.
We know that our connection is not about gender, race, social position, or economic standing. The connection is about Jesus being the absolute ruler of our lives.
We join together as Gentiles and Jews to form One Body.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is come together as people very different than one another to form one unified body of followers of Jesus.
Ephesians 3:6-8
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of His power. Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me; to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Group #2: Those who want to experience the fulfillment of God’s promises in Jesus.
We can experience the reality of God promises in Jesus by becoming servants of Jesus.
In Matthew 23:11 Jesus says, “The greatest among you shall be your servant.”
The world’s values tell us that we are to seek to be first, to be the boss. Jesus tells us to seek to be a servant.
It is important that those of us who are seeking to experience God’s promises in Jesus by being His servants have a community of servants to serve with.
The church made up of all kinds of people can join together as one body to serve the world in the name of Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being a servant of Jesus in a community of servants.
Ephesians 3:9-10
And to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.
Group #3: Those who are the church of Christ Jesus.
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says that He will build His church on the truth that He is God and that, by living based on that truth, the church will not be defeated, even by the forces of hell itself.
Hope is found in the plan Jesus has to change the world. That plan is the church.
We need to see ourselves as the church, Christ’s Community, that together by the work of the Holy Spirit God will use to change the world.
The world will not be changed by me or you working by ourselves as individuals. The world will be changed by God working through His united people, the church.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living together in community, the church.
Ephesians 3:11-13
According to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
Group #4: Those who are suffering with and for Jesus.
God is accomplishing His purpose through Jesus. It is an eternal purpose and it is being fulfilled through us right now today.
What those early believers did in fulfilling God’s purpose was awesome. God’s will is that all successive generations allow God to continue to fulfill His purpose through us.
Since we live in a fallen world, fulfilling God’s purpose will involve suffering.
In Philippians 3:10 Paul talks about knowing the fellowship of sharing in Jesus’ sufferings.
The thing that caused Jesus to suffer was sin. When we suffer with Jesus, we will be broken over sin. We will be broken over our own sin and the sin that dominates the world.
When we suffer with Jesus over sin, we need a community to encourage us, support us, and at times to comfort us.
Raise the Roof and Remove Walls is suffering with Jesus over sin as a Faith Family.
The thing that allows us to be prisoners of Jesus, servants of Jesus, the church of Jesus, and suffer with Jesus is GRACE.
Together with God’s Grace Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
In Ephesians 3 Paul talks about a mystery, a truth that God is now revealing to His people.
The mystery: Gentiles are now united to the Jewish believers in one Body, the Church.
In Romans 15:5-6 Paul prays that the God who gives endurance and encouragement would give the church a spirit of unity as they follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth the church would glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Colossians 3:15 Paul says that by God’s peace we have been called to be in one body.
We as God’s people need to see ourselves as one with Him and with each other.
This truth is important to four groups of people.
Ephesians 3:1-5
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles --- Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.
Group #1: Those who by God’s grace have made themselves prisoners of Jesus.
A prisoner is a person who is under the control of someone else.
If we are like Paul, a prisoner of Jesus, then knowing that is essential. Then we will know that we have a whole family of people who, like us, are under the control of Jesus and we can find support and strength from each other.
We know that our connection is not about gender, race, social position, or economic standing. The connection is about Jesus being the absolute ruler of our lives.
We join together as Gentiles and Jews to form One Body.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is come together as people very different than one another to form one unified body of followers of Jesus.
Ephesians 3:6-8
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of His power. Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me; to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Group #2: Those who want to experience the fulfillment of God’s promises in Jesus.
We can experience the reality of God promises in Jesus by becoming servants of Jesus.
In Matthew 23:11 Jesus says, “The greatest among you shall be your servant.”
The world’s values tell us that we are to seek to be first, to be the boss. Jesus tells us to seek to be a servant.
It is important that those of us who are seeking to experience God’s promises in Jesus by being His servants have a community of servants to serve with.
The church made up of all kinds of people can join together as one body to serve the world in the name of Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being a servant of Jesus in a community of servants.
Ephesians 3:9-10
And to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.
Group #3: Those who are the church of Christ Jesus.
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says that He will build His church on the truth that He is God and that, by living based on that truth, the church will not be defeated, even by the forces of hell itself.
Hope is found in the plan Jesus has to change the world. That plan is the church.
We need to see ourselves as the church, Christ’s Community, that together by the work of the Holy Spirit God will use to change the world.
The world will not be changed by me or you working by ourselves as individuals. The world will be changed by God working through His united people, the church.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living together in community, the church.
Ephesians 3:11-13
According to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
Group #4: Those who are suffering with and for Jesus.
God is accomplishing His purpose through Jesus. It is an eternal purpose and it is being fulfilled through us right now today.
What those early believers did in fulfilling God’s purpose was awesome. God’s will is that all successive generations allow God to continue to fulfill His purpose through us.
Since we live in a fallen world, fulfilling God’s purpose will involve suffering.
In Philippians 3:10 Paul talks about knowing the fellowship of sharing in Jesus’ sufferings.
The thing that caused Jesus to suffer was sin. When we suffer with Jesus, we will be broken over sin. We will be broken over our own sin and the sin that dominates the world.
When we suffer with Jesus over sin, we need a community to encourage us, support us, and at times to comfort us.
Raise the Roof and Remove Walls is suffering with Jesus over sin as a Faith Family.
The thing that allows us to be prisoners of Jesus, servants of Jesus, the church of Jesus, and suffer with Jesus is GRACE.
Together with God’s Grace Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
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