Following Jesus is not a solo act.
Following Jesus is a community activity.
America is a culture founded on individual effort, but the reality is that without people coming together for the common good, we would not exist as a nation.
If we are going to follow and serve Jesus effectively, we need each other.
In Ephesians 4:25-32 Paul give us guidelines on how we can do that in ways that honor God and reflect the character of Jesus.
In the latter part of Ephesians 4:25 it says, “for we are all members of one body.” Paul is not only writing to the church, but he is saying that these things need to take place in the context of the church.
Ephesians 4:25a
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor.
#1: We are to be people of truth and honesty.
We live in a world where deceit and falsehood prevail.
We see falsehood in advertising, sports, politics, and in almost every segment of our society.
We are not to see deceit or falsehood in the church among God’s people.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is speaking and living truth.
Ephesians 4:26
In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.
#2: We are not to be angry people
It is not our anger and condemnation that bring people to God. According to Romans 2:4 it is God’s kindness that leads people to repentance.
We are not to be characterized by anger.
We are not to hold on to our anger.
We are to be characterized by love.
We are to be longsuffering in our love for others.
Ephesians 4:27
And do not give the devil a foothold.
#3: We are not to allow Satan to have any influence in our lives.
In 2 Corinthians 4:4 Satan is referred to as the god of this age.
When we take on the thoughts, values or desires that characterized the world then we are allowing Satan to influence us because the thoughts, values, and desires of this world are the thoughts, values, and desires of Satan.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is characterizing the thoughts, values, and desires of God.
Ephesians 4:28
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
#4: We are to allow our faith in God to make a difference in how we live.
In James 1:22 it says that we are not to merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourself . Do what it says.
Faith in Jesus is not intellectual or religious.
Faith in Jesus is reality.
It changes the way that we live or it is not real faith.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is our faith in Jesus being the determining factor in how we live.
Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
#5: We are to build up, not tear down others.
In Romans 8:1 we are told that for those in Christ there is no condemnation. Jesus does not condemn us.
Jesus builds us up.
Jesus encourages us.
Jesus is honest with us.
Jesus speaks the truth in love to us.
We are to reflect Jesus and do the same thing.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is encouraging and building others up.
Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
#6: We are to bring joy to God and not grieve the Holy Spirit.
We bring joy to God and thus not grieve the Holy Spirit by:
Being Truthful and Honest
Loving
Focusing Exclusively on Jesus
Our Faith Making a Difference in Our Lives
Building Up and Encouraging Others
Ephesians 4:31
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
#7: We are to be people of peace.
In Matthew 5:9 Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”
In Luke 2:14 the angels declared peace on those whom God’s grace rests.
God wants us to experience His peace. In Isaiah 9:6 Jesus is called, “The Prince of Peace.”
We experience peace and become people of peace through Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing and sharing God’s peace.
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
#8: We are to be a forgiving people.
We are to show kindness.
We are to show compassion.
We are to forgive.
We do all this just as God does it to us and for us in Jesus.
Jesus showed kindness when He reinstated Peter after Peter denied Him.
Jesus showed compassion to the widow of Nain when He raised her son from the dead.
Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is forgiving others as God forgives us.
The church is the body of Christ. We as the body of Christ:
Show the world who Jesus is
Display the Character of the Father to the world
Function as the temple of the Holy Spirit
As a Member of the One Body Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Transformed into Something New
What do 2+2=4, Water is H2O, George Washington was the first president of the United States, and Jesus is God have in common? They are true. These are truths that are always true.
In our culture today we seem to have trouble recognizing, accepting and communicating truth. We seem lost as a culture as to what truth is.
In Ephesians 4:20-21 Paul says, “You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.”
Paul has just described people without Jesus as the Lord of their lives and he reminds the believers in Ephesus that they were to be different because they did have Jesus as Lord.
What these Ephesian believers had been taught was the truth. It was the truth found in Jesus.
Paul then outlines three things that the truth found in Jesus teaches us about our life before our surrender to Jesus’ authority.
Ephesians 4:22b
To put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.
We are first to put off our old self, the self before our surrender to Jesus.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we are told that we become a whole new creation in Jesus. Everything in our lives becomes new. Surrendering our lives brings a total transformation.
Why is a transformation needed?
It is because the old self, the self before Jesus, is being corrupted by our deceitful desires.
In Romans 3:10-12 it says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
Before Jesus there is nothing good about us. That means our thoughts and desires are not good; they are corrupted.
They need to be changed so that they can be desires and thoughts centered in truth and goodness. If we don’t have Jesus as Lord then they can’t be.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is be transformed by the truth in Jesus.
Ephesians 4:23
To be made new in the attitude of your minds.
In Romans 12:2 we are told not to be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by renewing of our minds. Only then can we know to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
If our minds are not made new by Jesus, then we cannot know God’s will. If we cannot know God’s will, then we cannot live as God wants us to live.
In Isaiah 42:9 says God will declare new things.
In Isaiah 43:19 God says He is doing a new thing.
If we are going to experience and be a part of the new things God is declaring and doing, we have to allow Him to make us new in Jesus.
The new is:
Different
Fresh
Alive
Wholeness.
Being made new is being transformed into the people God created us to be.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being made new by the truth in Jesus.
Ephesians 4:24
And to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
We are to put on the new self.
It is not enough to put off the old self, doing away with the negative. We have to put on the new self, the positive.
The new self is the image of Jesus.
We were created according to Genesis 1:27 in the image of God. Jesus came in the form of a human to show us what real humanity is. Jesus came to show us the perfect image of God in a human.
When we surrender our wills to Jesus’ will we put on the new self that reflects the image of God reestablished in us by the presence of Jesus.
The new self will reflect the righteousness of God.
The new self will reflect the holiness of God.
God wants the world to see His righteousness and His holiness and He has chosen to do it through us.
The old self reflects us before Jesus.
The new self reflects us after Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is allowing God to form the image of Jesus in us.
The truth is we need Jesus.
The truth is that without Jesus we have no hope.
The truth is that God’s Word is truth.
The truth is that we have to build our lives on these three truths.
Remember that truth is not a concept; truth is a person - Jesus.
In the Truth of Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
In our culture today we seem to have trouble recognizing, accepting and communicating truth. We seem lost as a culture as to what truth is.
In Ephesians 4:20-21 Paul says, “You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.”
Paul has just described people without Jesus as the Lord of their lives and he reminds the believers in Ephesus that they were to be different because they did have Jesus as Lord.
What these Ephesian believers had been taught was the truth. It was the truth found in Jesus.
Paul then outlines three things that the truth found in Jesus teaches us about our life before our surrender to Jesus’ authority.
Ephesians 4:22b
To put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.
We are first to put off our old self, the self before our surrender to Jesus.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we are told that we become a whole new creation in Jesus. Everything in our lives becomes new. Surrendering our lives brings a total transformation.
Why is a transformation needed?
It is because the old self, the self before Jesus, is being corrupted by our deceitful desires.
In Romans 3:10-12 it says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
Before Jesus there is nothing good about us. That means our thoughts and desires are not good; they are corrupted.
They need to be changed so that they can be desires and thoughts centered in truth and goodness. If we don’t have Jesus as Lord then they can’t be.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is be transformed by the truth in Jesus.
Ephesians 4:23
To be made new in the attitude of your minds.
In Romans 12:2 we are told not to be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by renewing of our minds. Only then can we know to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
If our minds are not made new by Jesus, then we cannot know God’s will. If we cannot know God’s will, then we cannot live as God wants us to live.
In Isaiah 42:9 says God will declare new things.
In Isaiah 43:19 God says He is doing a new thing.
If we are going to experience and be a part of the new things God is declaring and doing, we have to allow Him to make us new in Jesus.
The new is:
Different
Fresh
Alive
Wholeness.
Being made new is being transformed into the people God created us to be.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being made new by the truth in Jesus.
Ephesians 4:24
And to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
We are to put on the new self.
It is not enough to put off the old self, doing away with the negative. We have to put on the new self, the positive.
The new self is the image of Jesus.
We were created according to Genesis 1:27 in the image of God. Jesus came in the form of a human to show us what real humanity is. Jesus came to show us the perfect image of God in a human.
When we surrender our wills to Jesus’ will we put on the new self that reflects the image of God reestablished in us by the presence of Jesus.
The new self will reflect the righteousness of God.
The new self will reflect the holiness of God.
God wants the world to see His righteousness and His holiness and He has chosen to do it through us.
The old self reflects us before Jesus.
The new self reflects us after Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is allowing God to form the image of Jesus in us.
The truth is we need Jesus.
The truth is that without Jesus we have no hope.
The truth is that God’s Word is truth.
The truth is that we have to build our lives on these three truths.
Remember that truth is not a concept; truth is a person - Jesus.
In the Truth of Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, April 10, 2016
For Those Who Don't Believe
Sanctification is the process of God making us holy or separating us from the values of this fallen world.
Jesus tells us in John 17:17 that we as His followers are sanctified by truth, and God’s Word is truth.
We are thus sanctified by making God’s Word the authority and basis on which we as disciples of Jesus live.
In Ephesians 4:17-19 Paul draws us a picture of what unsanctified people live like.
Ephesians 4:17a
In the Lord’s name, I tell you this. Do not continue living like those who do not believe.
We are not to do live our lives like those who do not believe. How do those who don’t believe live?
Ephesians 4:17b
In the futility of their thinking
Those who don’t believe are futile in their thinking.
We are not to be devoid of truth in our thinking.
We are not to be inappropriate in our thinking.
Since it is truth that sanctifies us, then if our thinking doesn’t have truth as its foundation, it cannot make us holy.
People who don’t believe are perverted in their thinking, meaning their thinking has been twisted. We as followers of Jesus are not be twisted in our thinking. We are to think with the truth of God which leads to true wisdom.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is thinking in truth, not perverseness.
Ephesians 4:18a
They are darkened in their understanding
Those that don’t believe have minds covered in darkness.
When it is dark we can’t see. Or if we can, the darkness makes what we see distorted.
When our thinking is darkened, then we have no real understanding or our understanding is distorted.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is The Light, Jesus, giving us a mind that is guided by truth and reality.
Ephesians 4:18b
And separated from the life of God
People who don’t believe have no real life; they only have existence.
The word for life is the Greek word zoe. It means full life, abundant like. It is the life of God.
People who don’t believe have physical existence, but they don’t have real life. Real only comes as we surrender our lives to Jesus.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus give us real life by living His resurrected life through us.
Ephesians 4:18c
Because of the ignorance that is in them
Those who don’t believe are ignorant.
They are not dumb or stupid or unlearned. Many people who don’t believe are intellectually very smart.
Those that don’t believe are ignorant of spiritual things.
1 Corinthians 2:14
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
Those who don’t believe are ignorant of the truth of God because the truth is only revealed by God’s Spirit.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is understanding the truth of God and living it.
Ephesians 4:18d
Due to the hardening of their hearts
Those who don’t believe are hard, inflexible, and mean.
They care only about themselves.
In Mark 12:31 Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Those who have hard hearts can’t do that. They are self-focused people.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is loving others as we love ourselves.
Ephesians 4:19a
Having lost all sensitivity
Those who don’t believe don’t feel pain or experience grief.
They can feel physically pain.
They can grieve over a loss that directly affects them.
They don’t feel pain for others or grieve when others grieve.
Many years ago I hear a great description of the church: “The church is when one part suffers hurt, we all taste the salt of their tears.”
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is entering into the hurt and pain with others.
Ephesians 4:19a
They have given themselves over to sensuality
Those that don’t believe are sensual.
Sensual means to focus on the senses. They are focused on those things that bring pleasure to the senses.
Their motto is, “If it feels good, do it.”
Philippians 3:19
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
Their physical desires control and direct their lives.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is setting our minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Philippians 419b
So as to indulge in every kind of impurity
Those who don’t believe live by giving themselves over to things that make their thinking corrupted and thus their living morally compromised.
They may not live what would be seen as totally immoral lives, but they live with no constant moral uprightness.
At the beginning of Ephesians 4, Paul says that we are to live lives worthy of the calling we have in Jesus. This certainly means that our sense of right and wrong is to be determined by what God’s Word says.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living a life not corrupted by impure thoughts, motives, or actions.
Ephesians 4:19c
With a continual lust for more
Those who don’t believe are obsessed with getting and having more and more and more and more.
Jesus reminds us in Luke 12:15 that we are to be on our guard against all kinds of greed because life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is focusing on being spiritually wealthy.
We are to live in a way that is different than those who don’t believe.
Jesus’ plan is for His followers to be so weird, so different from the world, that the world comes to check out why we are so different, and they find Jesus.
Living Differently by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
Jesus tells us in John 17:17 that we as His followers are sanctified by truth, and God’s Word is truth.
We are thus sanctified by making God’s Word the authority and basis on which we as disciples of Jesus live.
In Ephesians 4:17-19 Paul draws us a picture of what unsanctified people live like.
Ephesians 4:17a
In the Lord’s name, I tell you this. Do not continue living like those who do not believe.
We are not to do live our lives like those who do not believe. How do those who don’t believe live?
Ephesians 4:17b
In the futility of their thinking
Those who don’t believe are futile in their thinking.
We are not to be devoid of truth in our thinking.
We are not to be inappropriate in our thinking.
Since it is truth that sanctifies us, then if our thinking doesn’t have truth as its foundation, it cannot make us holy.
People who don’t believe are perverted in their thinking, meaning their thinking has been twisted. We as followers of Jesus are not be twisted in our thinking. We are to think with the truth of God which leads to true wisdom.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is thinking in truth, not perverseness.
Ephesians 4:18a
They are darkened in their understanding
Those that don’t believe have minds covered in darkness.
When it is dark we can’t see. Or if we can, the darkness makes what we see distorted.
When our thinking is darkened, then we have no real understanding or our understanding is distorted.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is The Light, Jesus, giving us a mind that is guided by truth and reality.
Ephesians 4:18b
And separated from the life of God
People who don’t believe have no real life; they only have existence.
The word for life is the Greek word zoe. It means full life, abundant like. It is the life of God.
People who don’t believe have physical existence, but they don’t have real life. Real only comes as we surrender our lives to Jesus.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus give us real life by living His resurrected life through us.
Ephesians 4:18c
Because of the ignorance that is in them
Those who don’t believe are ignorant.
They are not dumb or stupid or unlearned. Many people who don’t believe are intellectually very smart.
Those that don’t believe are ignorant of spiritual things.
1 Corinthians 2:14
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
Those who don’t believe are ignorant of the truth of God because the truth is only revealed by God’s Spirit.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is understanding the truth of God and living it.
Ephesians 4:18d
Due to the hardening of their hearts
Those who don’t believe are hard, inflexible, and mean.
They care only about themselves.
In Mark 12:31 Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Those who have hard hearts can’t do that. They are self-focused people.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is loving others as we love ourselves.
Ephesians 4:19a
Having lost all sensitivity
Those who don’t believe don’t feel pain or experience grief.
They can feel physically pain.
They can grieve over a loss that directly affects them.
They don’t feel pain for others or grieve when others grieve.
Many years ago I hear a great description of the church: “The church is when one part suffers hurt, we all taste the salt of their tears.”
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is entering into the hurt and pain with others.
Ephesians 4:19a
They have given themselves over to sensuality
Those that don’t believe are sensual.
Sensual means to focus on the senses. They are focused on those things that bring pleasure to the senses.
Their motto is, “If it feels good, do it.”
Philippians 3:19
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
Their physical desires control and direct their lives.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is setting our minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Philippians 419b
So as to indulge in every kind of impurity
Those who don’t believe live by giving themselves over to things that make their thinking corrupted and thus their living morally compromised.
They may not live what would be seen as totally immoral lives, but they live with no constant moral uprightness.
At the beginning of Ephesians 4, Paul says that we are to live lives worthy of the calling we have in Jesus. This certainly means that our sense of right and wrong is to be determined by what God’s Word says.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living a life not corrupted by impure thoughts, motives, or actions.
Ephesians 4:19c
With a continual lust for more
Those who don’t believe are obsessed with getting and having more and more and more and more.
Jesus reminds us in Luke 12:15 that we are to be on our guard against all kinds of greed because life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is focusing on being spiritually wealthy.
We are to live in a way that is different than those who don’t believe.
Jesus’ plan is for His followers to be so weird, so different from the world, that the world comes to check out why we are so different, and they find Jesus.
Living Differently by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
Sunday, April 3, 2016
The Community of Jesus
Today in America, being a Christian is seen as a personal thing and, by many, even a private thing. So I know it is weird to see being a Christian as a communal thing.
I believe that the Bible shows that following God is done best and most effectively in community.
In Ephesians 4:14-16 Paul writes to the church. He shares with us, as the church, how to be the community that God calls us to be.
Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Jesus does not want us as His people to be unstable.
Jesus does not want us as His people to chase every new trend in the culture or in theology.
Jesus does not want us as His people to be deceived by human thinking.
Jesus wants us as His people to be standing firm in truth.
Jesus wants us as His people to be centered in Him.
Jesus wants us as His people to be living based on God’s Word.
Paul shares with us five things that need to be true of Jesus’ church so that we are really Jesus’ church.
Ephesians 4:15a
Instead, speaking the truth in love
#1: Speak the truth in love
If we speak truth but don’t do it with love, it is harsh and mean.
If we speak love by don’t couple it with truth, it is weak and wimpy.
We need to speak in both truth and love.
The church has been given the Biblical mandate to speak out the truth of God to the culture.
We are not to speak out God’s truth in :
Hate
Condemnation
Arrogance
We are to speak out God’s truth in LOVE!
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church sharing the truth of God with the love of God to the culture.
Ephesians 4:15b
We will grow up into Him who is the Head, that is Christ.
#2: We, the church, are to grow up to be like Jesus.
Romans 8:29 says, “For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
The Father wants us to be like Jesus.
He wants us to look like Jesus.
He wants us to think like Jesus.
He wants to value what Jesus valued.
He wants us to act like Jesus.
He wants us to love like Jesus.
We as individuals are to grow up to be like Jesus.
Churches are also to grow up to be like Jesus. We need to remember that we, the church, are the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is to grow up to be like the Head, Christ.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church growing to be the authentic Body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:16a
From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament.
#3: We are to be in unity with Jesus and each other.
Jesus commands in Mark 12:30 to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and with all your strength.
We are to love and be in unity with God.
Jesus also commands us in Mark 12:31 that we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
We are to love each other and be in unity with each other as followers of Jesus.
When God’s people are in unity with Him and each other, it displays God to the world.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is God’s church being in unity with Him and each other.
Ephesians 4:16b
Grows and Builds itself up in love
#4: We are to grow and build ourselves up
All living things grow. The church is a living thing. The church should grow.
The church grows in number.
The church grows in maturity.
The church builds itself up in knowledge.
The church builds itself up in wisdom.
The purpose of the church growing and building itself up is so that the Kingdom of God will grow..
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is building the Kingdom of God by growing and building up the church.
Ephesians 4:16c
As each part does it works
#5: Each member of the body fulfills its part in the body.
Spiritual gifts are given to each follower of Jesus so that the church can function in the way God created it to function. Spiritual gifts are given so the church can grow and build itself up.
The key to using spiritual gifts to help the church is - To Use Them!
Any gift that is never removed from the package or, when removed is never used, has no value.
We can discuss our spiritual gifts.
We can debate our spiritual gifts.
We can list our spiritual gifts.
But until we use our spiritual gifts, they are of no value.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is every member of the church using their gifts to grow the church.
God the Father envisioned the church.
God the Son established the church.
God the Spirit enables the church.
We are the church. And as the church, let us:
Speak the truth in love
Grow up to be like Jesus
Be in unity
Grow as a healthy organism
And do it together as the family of Jesus.
As the Church, Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
I believe that the Bible shows that following God is done best and most effectively in community.
In Ephesians 4:14-16 Paul writes to the church. He shares with us, as the church, how to be the community that God calls us to be.
Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Jesus does not want us as His people to be unstable.
Jesus does not want us as His people to chase every new trend in the culture or in theology.
Jesus does not want us as His people to be deceived by human thinking.
Jesus wants us as His people to be standing firm in truth.
Jesus wants us as His people to be centered in Him.
Jesus wants us as His people to be living based on God’s Word.
Paul shares with us five things that need to be true of Jesus’ church so that we are really Jesus’ church.
Ephesians 4:15a
Instead, speaking the truth in love
#1: Speak the truth in love
If we speak truth but don’t do it with love, it is harsh and mean.
If we speak love by don’t couple it with truth, it is weak and wimpy.
We need to speak in both truth and love.
The church has been given the Biblical mandate to speak out the truth of God to the culture.
We are not to speak out God’s truth in :
Hate
Condemnation
Arrogance
We are to speak out God’s truth in LOVE!
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church sharing the truth of God with the love of God to the culture.
Ephesians 4:15b
We will grow up into Him who is the Head, that is Christ.
#2: We, the church, are to grow up to be like Jesus.
Romans 8:29 says, “For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
The Father wants us to be like Jesus.
He wants us to look like Jesus.
He wants us to think like Jesus.
He wants to value what Jesus valued.
He wants us to act like Jesus.
He wants us to love like Jesus.
We as individuals are to grow up to be like Jesus.
Churches are also to grow up to be like Jesus. We need to remember that we, the church, are the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is to grow up to be like the Head, Christ.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church growing to be the authentic Body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:16a
From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament.
#3: We are to be in unity with Jesus and each other.
Jesus commands in Mark 12:30 to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and with all your strength.
We are to love and be in unity with God.
Jesus also commands us in Mark 12:31 that we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
We are to love each other and be in unity with each other as followers of Jesus.
When God’s people are in unity with Him and each other, it displays God to the world.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is God’s church being in unity with Him and each other.
Ephesians 4:16b
Grows and Builds itself up in love
#4: We are to grow and build ourselves up
All living things grow. The church is a living thing. The church should grow.
The church grows in number.
The church grows in maturity.
The church builds itself up in knowledge.
The church builds itself up in wisdom.
The purpose of the church growing and building itself up is so that the Kingdom of God will grow..
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is building the Kingdom of God by growing and building up the church.
Ephesians 4:16c
As each part does it works
#5: Each member of the body fulfills its part in the body.
Spiritual gifts are given to each follower of Jesus so that the church can function in the way God created it to function. Spiritual gifts are given so the church can grow and build itself up.
The key to using spiritual gifts to help the church is - To Use Them!
Any gift that is never removed from the package or, when removed is never used, has no value.
We can discuss our spiritual gifts.
We can debate our spiritual gifts.
We can list our spiritual gifts.
But until we use our spiritual gifts, they are of no value.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is every member of the church using their gifts to grow the church.
God the Father envisioned the church.
God the Son established the church.
God the Spirit enables the church.
We are the church. And as the church, let us:
Speak the truth in love
Grow up to be like Jesus
Be in unity
Grow as a healthy organism
And do it together as the family of Jesus.
As the Church, Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Jesus Gives Gifts to His Church
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
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 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
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