Envoy Discipleship

Envoy by Christ Focused Network
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Followers of Christ fighting back against doom scrolling, bringing light and salt into the digital landscape. Covering the everyday muses necessary to build the Kingdom of God here on earth within our everyday lives. christfocused.substack.com

  1. -1 дн.

    Month 9 - Warfare & Holiness | Week 4: More Than Conquerors

    Month 9 - Warfare & Holiness | Week 4: More Than Conquerors Anchor Scripture “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” -Romans 8:37 (ESV) We will be covering: From No Condemnation to No Separation More Than Conquerors in the Middle of Suffering Nothing Can Separate Us Living From the Victory of Christ Sitting With Romans 8 This Week Over the course of this month, we’ve been considering the Christian life through the connected themes of spiritual warfare and holiness. We began with the unseen battle, recognizing that Scripture doesn’t allow us to explain every struggle simply in terms of what can be seen. We then turned to the armor of God and saw that the Christian response to spiritual opposition isn’t fear or fascination, but faithfulness. God calls His people to stand, and He gives them what they need to do so. Last week, Galatians 5 brought the battle even closer, into the desires of the heart, as Paul described the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit and called Christians to walk by the Spirit rather than relying upon themselves. Romans 8 gives us the right place to finish because it takes us from the reality of the battle to the certainty of the outcome. Paul’s language is unmistakably victorious: “in all these things we are more than conquerors.” Yet those words are often repeated without much attention to what “these things” actually are. When we put them back into their context, Paul’s idea of victory becomes considerably deeper than simply overcoming difficult circumstances. The surrounding verses speak about tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and even death. Paul isn’t describing Christians who are protected from suffering because their faith is strong enough. He’s speaking about Christians who may experience the full weight of life in a fallen world and yet discover that none of it has the power to separate them from Christ. That distinction matters. The victory of the Christian isn’t that hardship never reaches us. It’s that hardship can never finally have us. To understand why Paul can say something so extraordinary, we need to follow the argument he’s been building through Romans 8. From No Condemnation to No Separation Romans 8 begins with one of the clearest statements of assurance in the New Testament: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” It ends with another: nothing in all creation “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” No condemnation at the beginning and no separation at the end. Between those two assurances, though, Paul speaks with remarkable honesty about Christian life. There’s still a battle with sin. There’s weakness. There’s suffering. Creation itself groans under the effects of the fall, and Christians groan along with it as we wait for the redemption of our bodies. Paul even acknowledges that there are moments when believers don’t know what to pray. The Spirit helps us, he says, precisely because we are weak. Romans 8 isn’t written for people who’ve worked out how to avoid difficulty. It’s written for people who need to know whether the gospel remains true when life becomes difficult to understand. That’s the setting for Paul’s question in verse 31: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Paul clearly isn’t claiming that nobody will oppose Christians. His own life makes that interpretation impossible. He’d experienced rejection, violence, imprisonment, hostility, and persecution because of his allegiance to Christ. The question is much larger than whether opposition exists. Paul is asking whether any opposition is capable of overturning what God has decided to do for His people. His answer rests upon the cross. “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” - Romans 8:32 This becomes especially important when suffering enters our lives because suffering has a way of changing the questions we ask about God. When life is relatively stable, it can be easy to speak confidently about His goodness. When something we love begins to fall apart, when a prayer remains unanswered, when health changes, when a relationship breaks, or when the future suddenly looks uncertain, another question can begin forming beneath the surface: Is God really for me? We may know the theological answer and still feel the weight of the question. If God loves me, why has He allowed this? If He’s near, why does He sometimes feel so distant? If He’s for me, why does so much seem to be going against me? Paul doesn’t answer those questions by explaining the hidden purpose behind every painful circumstance. Scripture never promises us that kind of knowledge. There are things we may understand only years later, and there may be things we never fully understand in this life. Instead, Paul points us toward something God has already made unmistakably clear. He points us toward Christ. The Christian doesn’t finally determine God’s love by looking at whether a particular season has been comfortable. We look at the cross. The God who gave His own Son hasn’t left us to guess about His commitment to us. This is one reason we never graduate beyond the gospel. The cross isn’t merely where Christian life begins; it continues to interpret reality for us when reality becomes difficult to interpret on its own. Circumstances may make us feel forgotten, but the cross tells us that we’ve been loved at unimaginable cost. Shame may tell us that our failure has placed us beyond grace, but Romans 8 begins by telling us that there’s no condemnation for those who are in Christ. The enemy may accuse us, other people may accuse us, and our own conscience may accuse us, but Paul asks who can ultimately bring a charge against those whom God has justified. That doesn’t mean Christianity treats guilt lightly. Quite the opposite. The gospel takes guilt so seriously that it requires atonement rather than denial. Christ has borne the judgment of His people, and because of that, another voice cannot simply overturn the verdict God has given. Paul continues: “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died, more than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ” - Romans 8:34 Notice where Paul places the weight of his confidence. Christ died. Christ was raised. Christ reigns. Christ intercedes. His confidence isn’t resting upon the strength or consistency of the Christian. It rests upon the finished and continuing work of Christ. That becomes the foundation for everything that follows. More Than Conquerors in the Middle of Suffering Paul’s next question takes us directly toward our anchor verse: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” - Romans 8:35-39 What follows isn’t a list of theoretical possibilities. Paul names real experiences of suffering: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and sword. He then quotes Psalm 44, a psalm in which God’s people are suffering despite their faithfulness. This is important because it prevents us from turning “more than conquerors” into a promise that faithful Christians will somehow be spared the hardest parts of life. Paul is speaking about victory while suffering is still present. Then comes the line: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” - Romans 8:35-39 The words “in all these things” are essential. Paul doesn’t say Christians conquer because suffering fails to reach them. He says that even when suffering does reach them, it can’t accomplish the one thing that would constitute ultimate defeat. It can’t separate them from Christ. Tribulation can trouble a Christian without removing them from God’s love. Distress can make life feel painfully narrow without altering their standing before God. Persecution can remove reputation, comfort, employment, possessions, security, or freedom. Even death can bring earthly life to an end. None of those things can undo justification, reverse adoption, empty the resurrection of its meaning, or take Christ away from the person who belongs to Him. This helps explain why Christian victory can look so strange from the outside. The apostles themselves didn’t always look like conquerors in the ordinary sense of the word. Many were threatened, beaten, imprisoned, rejected, and eventually killed because they followed Jesus. If victory means escaping suffering, their lives seem to tell the wrong story. But Paul understands victory differently. Rome could imprison him, but it couldn’t revoke his adoption. It could beat him, but it couldn’t undo what Christ had accomplished at the cross. It could put him in chains, but it couldn’t place Jesus back in the tomb. Eventually, Rome could take Paul’s earthly life, but it couldn’t take the resurrection that awaited him. The world can sometimes take far more from a Christian than we’d like to imagine, but it cannot take what it never gave in the first place. Our belonging to Christ doesn’t depend upon the world’s permission. This is also why Christian hope is different from optimism. Optimism usually depends upon the expectation that circumstances will improve. Sometimes they do. God can bring extraordinary deliverance. A relationship can heal. A diagnosis can change. A door can open. A prayer can be answered exactly as we hoped. We should be grateful when that happens. But Christian hope has to be able to survive even when circumstances don’t improve in the way we wanted. It says that even if life doesn’t unfold according to my preference, Christ remains who He is. Even if a prayer receives an answer I don’t understand, the resurrection hasn’t been undone. Even if obedience becomes costly, the cost can’t separate me from the One I’m obey

  2. 20 авг.

    Month 9 - Warfare & Holiness | Week 3: Walking In The Spirit

    Month 9 - Warfare & Holiness | Week 3: Walking In The Spirit Anchor Scripture “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” - Galatians 5:16 (ESV) We will be covering: Freedom, the Flesh, and the Spirit What the Flesh Produces and What the Spirit Grows Belonging to Christ and Learning to Walk Sitting With the Text This Week Prayer For The Week Over the last two weeks, we’ve been considering the reality of spiritual warfare and what it means for the ordinary Christian life. We began by looking at the unseen battle, recognizing Paul’s warning that our struggle is not ultimately against flesh and blood. Last week, we turned to the armor of God and saw that as Disciples we haven’t been left defenseless. God gives His people everything necessary to stand firm: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, His Word, and prayer. But even with the image of this mighty armor, it still leaves us with another question. Once the armor has been put on, how does the Christian actually walk in it? That question matters because most spiritual warfare doesn’t arrive in dramatic ways. It comes quietly, through ordinary moments and ordinary desires. It appears when someone irritates us, and we feel the immediate pull toward anger. It appears when another person receives something we wanted, and envy begins working beneath the surface. It appears when an old temptation returns, when pride resists correction, when fear makes us grasp for control, or when resentment begins to feel easier than forgiveness. Spiritual warfare is not only about what is happening around the Disciple. It is also about what is happening within us. This is where Galatians 5 takes us. Paul brings us directly into the inner conflict of the Christian life and gives us one of the clearest commands in the New Testament for understanding how disciples of Jesus are meant to live: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” The sentence is simple enough to memorize in seconds, but the life it describes takes a lifetime of dependence and focus on the Lord to achieve. Paul isn’t offering a religious technique for becoming slightly better people. Nor is he telling us to summon greater willpower so that we can finally defeat our weaknesses. He is describing an entirely different way of living. Walking by the Spirit. A disciple's life is a life increasingly brought under the direction, power, and transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Freedom, the Flesh, & the Spirit To understand Paul’s command, we first need to understand where Galatians in general has brought us. Galatians is a letter written in defense of the gospel. Teachers had entered the churches of Galatia and were troubling believers by insisting that faith in Christ was not enough. Gentile Christians, they argued, needed to take upon themselves the requirements of the Mosaic law, particularly circumcision, if they were to belong fully among “the people of God”. Paul responds strongly because he understands what is at stake. If righteousness can finally be achieved through our obedience, then Christ is no longer sufficient. The gospel becomes Jesus plus something else. Paul isn’t willing to allow that. Throughout the letter, he insists that sinners are justified through faith in Jesus Christ and not through works of the law. That doesn’t mean works shouldn’t occur, but they are not the justification of our salvation; they are the fruit of it. Christ has done what we could never do for ourselves. He has borne the curse of sin, reconciled us to God, and brought us into the family of God by grace. That is why chapter 5 begins with the declaration: “For freedom Christ has set us free.” - Galatians 5:1 But freedom immediately raises another question. What are we free from and free to do? Our culture generally understands freedom as the removal of restraint. Freedom means being able to choose for ourselves, determine our own path, define what is right for us, and pursue the desires we consider authentic. There is something deeply attractive about that idea, but God gives us a more searching understanding of the human heart. Simply being free to follow our desires doesn’t necessarily make us free. Sometimes our desires are precisely what enslave us. A person governed by anger isn’t truly free simply because they can express it. A person who desperately needs the approval of others may appear independent while being profoundly controlled by the opinions of people around them. A person who can’t say no to sexual desire is not free simply because the culture celebrates the expression of that desire. A person consumed by money, comfort, status, recognition, resentment, jealousy, ambition, or the need for control may possess enormous external freedom while living with very little internal freedom. Paul therefore refuses to separate Christian freedom from Christian transformation. He writes: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” - Galatians 5:13 Christian freedom is not the freedom to become ruled by ourselves. It is freedom from the powers, desires, and patterns of life that once ruled us. This is the setting I am trying to get you to for Paul’s command to walk by the Spirit. When Paul speaks about “the flesh,” he isn’t simply talking about the physical body. Christianity doesn’t teach that the body itself is evil. Jesus took on a real human body, died bodily, rose bodily, and the Christian hope includes the resurrection of the body. By “flesh,” Paul is describing human life turned inward upon itself. It is life lived in independence from God, where the self becomes the center, and our desires become the controlling authority. The flesh asks what I want, what I deserve, what will make me secure, what will protect my pride, what will satisfy me, and what will allow me to remain in control. Sometimes the answers produced by the flesh are obviously sinful. At other times they are much more subtle. Selfish ambition can look remarkably similar to healthy drive. Pride can disguise itself as conviction. Fear can call itself wisdom. Control can present itself as responsibility. Bitterness can be renamed discernment. Even the desire to be admired can find a comfortable home within Christian ministry if we learn how to surround it with the right language. One of the unsettling truths about sin is that we are often very skilled at explaining it to ourselves. We rarely experience temptation as an obvious invitation to rebel against God. More often, we justify the desire, minimize it, rename it, or convince ourselves that our circumstances make it reasonable. Then the Spirit of God begins His work. The Spirit confronts what we would naturally excuse. He brings conviction where we have rationalized. He turns our eyes toward Christ and begins forming desires for holiness, truth, love, generosity, purity, reconciliation, and obedience. Things that once seemed normal begin to trouble us. Things we once defended become things we confess. Patterns we once followed without question become places of conflict. Paul describes that conflict directly: “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh.” - Galatians 5:17 This explains something almost every serious disciple eventually discovers. Coming to Christ doesn’t mean temptation disappears. We may genuinely love Christ and still discover pride within us. We may believe deeply in the goodness of God and still become anxious when circumstances move beyond our control. We may understand grace and still struggle to forgive someone who has wounded us. We may value purity and still encounter temptation. We may worship God sincerely and then discover how quickly impatience, envy, selfishness, or anger rise when the circumstances are right. It’s easy to interpret that struggle wrongly though. “If the Holy Spirit really lived in me, why would I still be fighting this?” But Paul doesn’t present the conflict as evidence that the Spirit is absent. In many cases, the conflict exists precisely because the Spirit is present. Before Christ, there were desires we followed without seriously questioning them. Now there is another allegiance. Something within us has changed. We cannot make peace with sin in quite the same way because the Spirit is forming within us a love for what is holy. That does not mean we should become relaxed about sin. Paul takes the destructive power of the flesh extremely seriously. But it does mean that sanctification is not usually the story of temptation simply disappearing from the Christian life. It is the story of God forming within His people a new allegiance and teaching them to live according to a new source of life. That is why Paul’s command is to walk by the Spirit. Walking is ordinary. It's repeated. It happens through countless steps that rarely feel dramatic in themselves. We tend to remember the major spiritual moments of our lives: the sermon that changed something in us, the retreat where God met us, the crisis through which our faith deepened. God certainly uses those moments, but much of Christian formation happens somewhere less spectacular. It happens on an ordinary Tuesday. It happens in how we speak to our family when we are tired. It happens in what we do when someone corrects us. It happens in the thoughts we choose to entertain, the places our eyes linger, the words we speak when frustrated, the way we handle disappointment, and the decisions we make when nobody else will ever know. A fruitful life is formed through those ordinary steps. Walking by the Spirit means learning, gradually and repeatedly, to bring those steps under the lordship of Christ. What the Flesh Produces & What the Spirit Grows Paul goes on to describe what life

  3. 11 авг.

    Month 9 - Warfare & Holiness | Week 2: Armor of God

    Month 9 - Warfare & Holiness | Week 2: Armor of God Anchor Scripture “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” -Ephesians 6:10–11 We will be covering: Be Strong in the Lord The Armor Belongs to God The Belt of Truth and Righteousness The Gospel of Peace and the Shield of Faith Salvation and the Word of God Praying at All Times Standing in Christ Last week, we discussed the unseen battle that surrounds the Christian life, one that our generation may have neglected. Paul reminded us that our struggle isn’t ultimately against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil. That truth helps us understand why temptation, accusation, division, discouragement, and deception can carry such spiritual weight, and how we can approach these challenges with the position of Christ. We reminded ourselves that Paul doesn’t reveal the reality of this daily battle so that believers will become fearful or preoccupied with the enemy. He reveals it so that we can understand our need for the strength and protection God provides. To fight from that position, not for it. The central command in Ephesians 6 is not to attack, investigate, or attempt to overpower the darkness. It is to stand. Paul repeats this command throughout the passage. Believers are to put on the armor we will be discussing today, so that they may stand against the schemes of the devil, withstand in the evil day, and, having done everything, remain standing. The Christian stands not because the battle is insignificant, but because Christ is sufficient to do so. So we will stand. Be Strong in the Lord Before Paul describes any part of the armor, he tells the church where its strength must come from: “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” - Ephesians 6:10–11 Paul doesn’t tell the Ephesians to become stronger versions of themselves. He doesn’t direct them toward greater self-confidence, determination, or spiritual intensity. Their strength is actually to be found outside themselves, in the Lord and in His mighty power. This is a key point for this month overall. You won’t be able to stand through your own strength, let’s put that pride to death today. Spiritual warfare exposes the limits of your human strength. Willpower may restrain temptation for a time, but it can’t transform the heart. Intelligence may recognize certain lies, but it can’t provide spiritual life. Discipline is valuable, but even seasoned disciplined believers remain completely dependent upon the grace of God. Jesus directly expressed this dependence clearly when He told His disciples: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” - John 15:5 This isn’t bad news, don’t read that as a put down, it’s a reality check on the immense scale of what needs to be done, and the good news is that Jesus has, can and will do it through you. You are not alone on this fight. That doesn’t mean that believers are to be passive, that we get excused from the battle because Christ is working in it. Paul is commanding the church to put on the armor, resist evil, remain alert, pray, and persevere. But all of this activity flows from dependence upon Christ. The enemy gladly persuades us to fight in our own strength. Self-reliance eventually produces either pride or despair. When we appear to succeed, we begin to trust ourselves. When we fail, we assume there’s no hope. The gospel offers a different foundation. One of rock rather than sand. Our confidence is not that we are strong enough to overcome every temptation, but that Christ is strong enough to sustain those who remain in Him. The Armor Belongs to God Paul calls this “remaining” the armor of God. The imagery comes from the Old Testament, where God Himself is described as a warrior who puts on righteousness and salvation in order to judge evil and rescue His people. Isaiah writes: “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head.”- Isaiah 59:17 The armor first belongs to God. He then clothes His people with what is His. This prevents us from treating the armor as a collection of spiritual achievements. We should thank God for the armor rather than fall into sin of pride of our obtaining it. The armor is not truth that we invented, righteousness that we earned, peace that we created, faith in our own ability, salvation that we secured, or a word that originated with us. Every part of the armor is received from God and ultimately fulfilled in Christ. Jesus is the truth. He is our righteousness and our peace. Salvation is found in Him. Faith rests upon His character and work. The Word of God reveals Him, and the Spirit equips us to live in what He has accomplished. To put on the armor of God is therefore to live each day from the reality of our union with Christ. We stand, by remembering who He is, trusting what He has done, and submitting ourselves to what He has spoken. We are discussing this here upfront to correctly position ourselves away from pride, so that we can see the armor of God for what it is and who’s it is as we progress. The Belt of Truth and Righteousness Paul begins: “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.” - Ephesians 6:14 The spiritual battle has always involved truth. In Genesis 3, the serpent begins by questioning God’s Word and distorting God’s character. The temptation is built upon the suggestion that God is withholding something good and that His command cannot be trusted. A lie. The same strategy continues throughout Scripture. The enemy lies about God, about sin, and about the consequences of disobedience. He presents rebellion as freedom and obedience as restriction. He accuses believers of being beyond grace while simultaneously minimizing the seriousness of the sin that enslaves them. Truth holds discipleship together because it keeps us anchored to reality as God has revealed it. This truth is not determined by our emotions, circumstances, cultural pressure, or personal preference. It is revealed in Scripture and embodied in Jesus Christ. When Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life,” He made it explicitly clear that Christian truth isn’t merely a system of correct ideas. Truth is found in knowing, trusting, and following Him. The breastplate of righteousness is closely connected to this truth. Our first protection against accusation is the righteousness of Christ. The gospel doesn’t teach that Christians have never sinned or that their failures are unimportant. It teaches that Jesus has borne their sin and that His righteousness is credited to those who trust Him. Paul explains: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” - 2 Corinthians 5:21 When the enemy accuses us, our defense isn’t our own moral record. We stand upon the finished work of Christ. The Disciple’s acceptance before God rests upon Jesus, not upon fluctuating spiritual performance. Yet the righteousness of Christ also produces a new way of living. Those who have been justified are called to walk in obedience. Hidden sin, habitual compromise, and resistance to repentance weaken us, because they contradict the new life Christ has given us. Putting on the breastplate of righteousness therefore means both resting in the righteousness of Christ and refusing to make peace with sin. We confess because we are secure in Him. We repent because grace is transforming us. We pursue holiness not to earn God’s love, but because we have received it. The Gospel of Peace and the Shield of Faith Paul continues: “And, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”- Ephesians 6:15–16 A soldier requires stable footing. A fighter, boxer, archer, police officer, fire fighter, all need solid footing, right. That seems logical, but through Paul’s acknowledgement to us of the battle raging around and against us, and with his primary call being to “Stand”, we also require stable footing. Paul says that the believer’s footing is provided by the gospel of peace. Through Christ, we have peace with God. The hostility caused by sin has been dealt with at the cross. Those who were once separated from God have been reconciled to Him. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - Romans 5:1 This peace, if you will let it, gives stability even when your circumstances remain difficult. You may well experience opposition, grief, uncertainty, or spiritual pressure, but these things can’t overturn the ultimate and most important reconciliation Christ has secured. The cross has already answered the question of whether God is for His people. We don’t interpret His love through the ease of our circumstances. We interpret our circumstances through the love He displayed in Christ. It surpasses our circumstances, so that the footing we hold as we stand against the enemy is stable, solid, unshakable. Because that’s Satan’s actual goal: to separate you from your Father. To have your footing slip due to your circumstances. This footing of peace can also shape how we respond to other people. Because our battle is not against flesh and blood, we must resist the temptation to treat people as the enemy. Christians may need to confront sin, oppose injustice, correct error, or establish boundaries, but they are called to do so without surrendering to hatred, vengeance, or bitterness. I’ll say that again - Hatred, vengeance, and bitterness are not things that demonstrate strength; they are things that demonstrate surrender, surrendering your footing and giving way to the Devil. The shield of fa

  4. 31 июл.

    Month 9 - Warfare & Holiness | Week 1: The Unseen Battle

    Month 9 - Warfare & Holiness | Week 1: The Unseen Battle Anchor Scripture “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” - Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) We will be covering: When We Mistake the Enemy A Lion Who Hunts the Unwatchful The Enemy’s Long Defeat Holiness Is How We Wage War Walking Into Tomorrow I don’t need to tell you that the world is scary, that there are people who are hurting, that it’s not safe everywhere you go, that there is darkness in the world. You know these things. But there is a curious contradiction within modern Christianity that we will dive into this week. We confess that God created both the visible and the invisible. We believe angels announced Christ’s birth, that demons recognized His authority, that Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, that the Holy Spirit dwells within every believer, and that one day Christ will return with the armies of heaven. Yet for much of our daily lives, we function as though the unseen world has very little bearing on the decisions we make or the struggles we face. There is a separation between our understanding and our daily interpretation and reality. We explain nearly everything in purely human, worldly terms. Conflict is reduced to personality differences. Temptation becomes little more than poor habits or psychology. Success is attributed to planning and discipline. Failure is blamed on circumstances. Even within the Church, we often speak as though the Christian life unfolds entirely within the boundaries of what can be seen, measured, or explained. But the Scriptures don’t permit us to think that way. From the opening pages of Genesis to the closing vision of Revelation, the Bible gently but persistently lifts the curtain on another reality. Or said another way… the actual reality. Alongside the world we can touch, exists a kingdom we can’t always see; Angels worshipping before the throne of God. The Holy Spirit working quietly within the hearts of believers. Christ reigning at the Father’s right hand. At the same time, there is an enemy who opposes God’s purposes, deceives the nations, and seeks to draw humanity away from its Creator. Us Christians, therefore, live at the meeting point of two worlds. We raise children, go to work, pay mortgages, cook meals, attend church, and laugh and comiserate with friends. Yet beneath these wonderfully ordinary rhythms runs another story altogether. Every decision of obedience or compromise, every act of faith or unbelief, every temptation resisted or embraced belongs to a conflict that stretches far beyond the visible world. This isn’t fantasy. Nor is it the exaggerated language of religious theatre kids. It is simply the reality and worldview of Scripture. Perhaps that is why one of the greatest dangers facing Christians today isn’t an unhealthy fascination with spiritual warfare but an almost complete forgetfulness of it. Previous generations may have erred by seeing a demon behind any and every inconvenience. Well, our generation often makes the opposite mistake. We see no spiritual dimension at all. C.S. Lewis famously observed that there are two equal and opposite errors into which people can fall concerning the devil. One is to disbelieve in his existence. The other is to become excessively interested in him. Both errors ultimately serve the same purpose: they distract us from Christ. Scripture steers carefully between these extremes. It neither dismisses the reality of the enemy nor encourages an unhealthy obsession with him. Instead, it continually directs our attention toward faithful discipleship. The New Testament speaks surprisingly little about hunting demons or seeking extraordinary encounters with evil spirits. Instead, it speaks constantly about remaining faithful. About standing firm. About resisting temptation. About putting sin to death. Praying without ceasing. About loving our enemies. Forgiving one another. About walking by the Spirit. This is how spiritual warfare is normally described in the Bible. Not through sensational moments, but through ordinary faithfulness. When Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus, he is addressing merchants, craftsmen, parents, widows, servants, employers, AND church leaders. They were ordinary Christians living ordinary lives in a remarkable city. Ephesus was known throughout the Roman Empire for its temple to Artemis, its widespread occult practices, and its fascination with magic. Many of those who first heard Paul’s letter had themselves come out of lives deeply entangled with pagan religion. Acts 19 records that new believers publicly burned their books of magic after coming to faith in Christ, a dramatic demonstration that their allegiance had changed. Paul knew exactly where these believers lived. He understood the spiritual atmosphere surrounding them. Yet when he finally turns to the subject of spiritual warfare near the end of his letter, he doesn’t encourage fear. He doesn’t invite speculation. He doesn’t tell them to become experts in demons. He simply tells them - to stand. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might... Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” - Ephesians 6:10–11 Notice the emphasis. We aren’t called to advance through confidence in our own strength. We aren’t called to live in fear of the enemy’s power. We are called to stand in the strength of Another. Before Paul ever mentions the devil, he first reminds us where our strength is found, and that order matters. Too much of the teaching on spiritual warfare begins with and ends with Satan. The New Testament always begins with Christ. Only when our eyes are fixed upon the King are we prepared to understand the battle. That is because our Christian life has never really been about avoiding the devil. It has always been about following Jesus. Everything else flows from that reality. When We Mistake the Enemy So with our focus on Christ here, lets acknowledge some elements of the enemy at the same time. One of Satan’s oldest strategies is remarkably simple. He persuades us to fight the wrong battles. It’s been his method since the beginning. In the Garden of Eden, he didn’t force Adam and Eve into rebellion. He sowed suspicion. He distorted God’s words just enough to make obedience seem restrictive rather than life-giving. Before sin entered the human heart, deception entered the human mind. I think the pattern has changed very little. How often do we become convinced that our greatest struggle is another person? The colleague who continually undermines us. The neighbor whose values seem increasingly hostile to our own. The family member whose words still echo painfully years after they were spoken. The politician. The activist. The difficult church member. The stranger on social media. Slowly, mistakenly, and not by purpose, our hearts begin assigning ultimate blame to people made in the image of God. Paul quietly dismantles that entire way of thinking with one sentence. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood...” - Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) Those words deserve to slow us down a little here. Paul isn’t suggesting that people can’t commit terrible evil. Scripture is painfully honest about human sin. Murder, betrayal, injustice, oppression, greed, violence, and abuse are never minimized. The Bible is far too realistic to deny the darkness that lives within the fallen human heart. Nor is Paul removing human responsibility. Every person remains accountable before God for the choices they make. What he is doing is revealing that beneath every visible conflict lies a deeper reality. There is a kingdom of darkness that delights in twisting what God has made good. Satan is described by Jesus as “a liar, and the father of lies” (John 8:44). His greatest weapon has never been raw power but deception. He blinds minds, distorts truth, nurtures pride, inflames anger, and whispers half-truths that slowly become accepted as reality. The battlefield, therefore, is often much closer than we imagine. It’s not first in the courtroom or the parliament. Not first in the workplace. Not on social media. It begins within the human heart. James asks a great question that exposes this truth with remarkable clarity: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” - James 4:1 Notice where James begins. Not with Rome. Not with persecution. Not with politics. He begins with the desires that wage war within each believer. This is humbling because it means that before we can faithfully engage the battle around us, we must first recognize the battle within us. Pride. Envy. Fear. Bitterness. Self-righteousness. The enemy often finds fertile ground wherever these remain unchallenged. It is the fuel for his fire, the ammo he needs to control you. Jesus Himself demonstrated this during His earthly ministry. When Peter took Jesus aside and pleaded with Him to avoid the cross, Peter undoubtedly believed he was speaking out of love. But Jesus responded with words that have puzzled readers for centuries. “Get behind me, Satan!” - Matthew 16:23 Wow, I don’t know about you, but if I were Peter, those words would horrify me. They horrify me today. But Jesus wasn’t claiming Peter had become Satan himself. Nor was He excusing Peter’s responsibility. Rather, He recognized that Peter’s sincere affection had become an instrument through which the temptation to avoid the Father’s will was being presented. Even good intentions can become vehicles for spiritual deception when they oppose God’s purposes. This should make us deeply cautious. Rarely does temptation arrive announcing itself as rebellion. It comes disguised as wisdom

  5. 23 июл.

    Month 8 - Work as Worship | Week 4: On Mission At Work

    Month 8 - Work as Worship | Week 4: On Mission At Work Anchor Scripture “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” - 2 Corinthians 5:20 Over the past month, we have been working towards a fuller Christian understanding of our daily labour as Disciples. We began by returning to the opening pages of Scripture, where work appears not as a punishment but as part of humanity’s original calling. Before sin brought thorns, frustration, exhaustion, and rivalry into our labour, God placed humanity within His creation to cultivate it, guard it, and bring forth its potential. Work was woven into the goodness of the world from the beginning. We then considered how love changes the character of that work. The Disciple doesn’t just complete tasks or satisfy a job description. We serve people made in the image of God. We follow a Lord who took up the towel and basin, and who showed us that no act of service is beneath the dignity of those who belong to His Kingdom. We have also considered the witness of our working lives: how integrity, excellence, humility, and courage can make the character of Christ visible in ordinary places. This final week is therefore not a departure from what has come before. It is a gathering together of the month’s central truths. Work is part of God’s good creation. It is an arena in which we love our neighbour. It is one of the places where our faith becomes visible. And because we belong to Christ, it is also a place of mission. The workplace is not only somewhere we serve God. It is somewhere we represent Him. Paul gives this calling its clearest expression in 2 Corinthians 5 when he writes, “We are ambassadors for Christ.” An ambassador lives in one country while representing another. He learns the customs and language of the place where he has been sent, participates in its public life, and seeks its good. Yet he never forgets where his ultimate allegiance lies. That is the position of us as Disciples in the world. We are present, involved, responsible, and committed to the good of the places where God has stationed us. Yet our deepest citizenship is in heaven, our highest allegiance is to Jesus Christ, and our conduct should increasingly reflect the Kingdom from which we have been sent. The question before us is therefore not merely whether we work hard or occasionally mention our faith. It is whether we understand what kind of ambassadors we have been called to become. Ambassadors of Reconciliation Paul’s description of Christians as ambassadors doesn’t appear in isolation. It’s the conclusion of an argument that begins with the death and resurrection of Jesus. “The love of Christ controls us,” Paul writes, because Christ died so that those who live “might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” - 2 Corinthians 5:14 That is the first mark of Christ’s ambassador: he no longer lives primarily for himself. The world of work constantly encourages self-centredness. We are taught to build our reputation, protect our position, increase our influence, secure our future, and measure ourselves against those around us. Even good ambitions can gradually become ruling desires. Work ceases to be something we offer to God and becomes the place where we attempt to prove our worth. Paul begins elsewhere. Christ died and rose so that we would no longer live for ourselves. The ambassador doesn’t enter the workplace asking only, “What can I gain here?” He also asks, “Who have I been sent to serve? What has God placed within my stewardship? How can the character of Christ shape the way I use my authority, respond to pressure, handle conflict, and treat those who cannot benefit me?” Paul then says that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old has passed away; the new has come. The mission of a disciple does not begin with us trying to appear more religious than the people around us. It begins with the transforming work of God within us. An ambassador must first have been changed by the Kingdom he represents. If our manner is indistinguishable from the anger, rivalry, fear, vanity, and self-protection around us, then adding Christian language will not repair our witness. The appeal of the gospel is not strengthened by religious performance. It becomes credible when the new creation begins to take visible form in an ordinary human life. Paul is equally clear that this new life is entirely “from God.” We did not reconcile ourselves to Him. God acted first. In Christ, He did not count our trespasses against us. The sinless Son stood in the place of sinners so that those who trust in Him might stand in His righteousness. Only after explaining this does Paul say, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ.” The order matters. We are ambassadors of reconciliation because we have first been reconciled. We certainly don’t enter the workplace as morally superior people arriving to repair everyone else. We come as recipients of mercy. We are debtors whose account has been cleared. Rebels who have been welcomed home, and sinners who live only because Christ died and rose for us. This should make our witness both confident and humble. We can be confident because the gospel doesn’t depend upon our ability to make it true. God has acted in Christ. Reconciliation has been accomplished through the cross. We carry news, not speculation. But we must remain humble because the message we carry is - A message of grace. Any witness marked by arrogance has already contradicted itself. We can’t speak convincingly about mercy while treating people with contempt. We can’t proclaim reconciliation while leaving division behind us. We can’t announce the lordship of Jesus while living as though success, money, comfort, or approval were our true masters. An ambassador is entrusted with the words of another. He isn’t free to replace the King’s message with his own. In the same way, Disciples aren’t sent merely to encourage people to become kinder, more spiritual, or more purposeful. We carry the announcement that God has acted through Jesus Christ to reconcile sinners to Himself. Paul says that God makes His appeal through us. If you think about it for a moment, that is an astonishing statement. God has chosen to place His message in the mouths and lives of ordinary believers. He makes His appeal through the teacher, builder, manager, parent, nurse, business owner, engineer, administrator, and tradesman who belong to Christ. He makes His appeal through people who tell the truth when dishonesty would be easier, who accept responsibility when blame could be shifted, who refuse to join in gossip, and who treat inconvenient people with patience. But as we have discussed, an ambassador is not only an example. He also carries a message. Our conduct may prepare the ground, raise a question, or remove an obstacle, but it won’t fully explain the gospel. At some point, reconciliation must be spoken of. The death and resurrection of Jesus won’t be communicated through competence alone. Forgiveness cannot be explained by professional integrity. There will be moments when we must gently and honestly name the hope that is within us. The ambassador therefore lives faithfully and speaks faithfully. He doesn’t force every conversation, but neither does he hide his allegiance. The Hidden Faithfulness of Nazareth Throughout this month, we have returned several times to the working life of Jesus. It’s worth doing once more, because Christ is not only the message carried by the ambassador. He is also the perfect pattern of faithfulness itself. The eternal Son of God spent most of His earthly life outside the public gaze. The Gospels tell us of His birth, His presentation at the temple, and His visit to Jerusalem at the age of twelve. Then the narrative becomes quiet. Jesus returns to Nazareth, submits to Mary and Joseph, grows in wisdom and stature, and lives for years among people who know Him simply as the carpenter. When He eventually teaches in the synagogue, the people ask, “Is not this the carpenter?” - Mark 6:3 They knew His household and His trade. They had seen Him within the ordinary patterns of village life. Before the sermons, signs, crowds, and confrontations, there had been years of hidden obedience. The significance is easily missed because we are drawn towards what is visible. We tend to regard the public years as meaningful and the hidden years as mere preparation. Yet Scripture gives us no reason to imagine that Jesus only began pleasing His Father when His ministry became visible. At His baptism, before He had preached the Sermon on the Mount, called the Twelve, healed the sick, or walked towards the cross, the Father declared, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” The pleasure of the Father was not waiting for public achievement. This speaks directly into the anxieties of working life. Many of us have been trained to measure importance by visibility. We assume that greater influence means greater significance, that promotion confirms our value, and that hidden work matters less than recognised work. But the life of Jesus exposes the poverty of that measure. For years, the Son of God lived in faithful obscurity. The hands that would later touch lepers, break bread, wash the disciples’ feet, and bear the nails had first been trained in ordinary labour. The Creator entered His creation and accepted the repeated, physical, uncelebrated work of a human trade. The early Church defended the full humanity of Jesus because our redemption depends upon it. Irenaeus taught that Christ entered human life in order to restore it from within. He did not save us from a safe distance. He assumed the conditions of embodied life: growth, family, responsibility, weariness, suffering, and work. That means ordinary h

  6. 10 июл.

    Month 8 - Work as Worship | Week 3: Workplace Witness

    Month 8 - Work as Worship | Week 3: Workplace Witness Anchor Scripture “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23–24 Learning to Represent Christ Wherever He Has Placed You Most of us will spend far more time in our workplaces than we ever will inside a church building. The question, then, isn’t whether we’re called to ministry. It’s whether we recognize that our everyday lives are already our ministry. This week on the Envoy Rally Point Call, we had the privilege of sitting down with Mike Glover - Green Beret Veteran, former U.S. Army Special Forces operator, entrepreneur, and, above all, a follower of Jesus, for an honest conversation about what it means to faithfully represent Christ in the places God has already placed us. Rather than offering formulas for evangelism, Mike shared lessons forged through decades of leadership, combat, business, family life, and personal faith. Follow Mike here: Website Instagram YouTube Store Podcast Courses Questions We Explored Together we worked through ten practical questions that every disciple can ask of themselves: How has your faith in Christ shaped your journey through work and calling? What does it look like to faithfully represent Christ under pressure? What does it truly mean to be an ambassador for Christ in the workplace—not simply a nice person? How can we be bold in sharing our faith without pushing people away? How do excellence, integrity, and servant leadership become a testimony to Christ? How should Christians respond to conflict, criticism, and difficult people? What leadership principles from Jesus most shape the way we influence others? How do we keep our identity rooted in Christ rather than our accomplishments or career? If every Christian remembered one thing before Monday morning, what should it be? Looking back, what do you wish you had understood earlier about work, calling, and following Jesus? Some of the Biggest Takeaways Your workplace is already your mission field. You don’t have to wait for another opportunity or another calling. God has placed you where you are today for a reason. Witness begins long before words. Integrity, excellence, humility, and servant-hearted leadership often open doors that conversations alone never could. Conviction and humility belong together. Christians aren’t called to be argumentative or passive, but to speak truth with both courage and grace. Difficult people need grace, not frustration. Mike reminded us that criticism often reveals someone’s own wounds more than it reflects your worth. Responding with empathy is part of following Christ. Presence matters. One of Mike’s strongest encouragements was to slow down, be present, and live consciously. Many opportunities to represent Jesus are missed because we’re already thinking about what’s next. Faith requires ownership. Rather than compartmentalizing our Christianity, we’re called to fully integrate our faith into every part of our lives—from Monday morning meetings to conversations with family and friends. One verse Mike brought us back to was 1 Corinthians 16:13: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” A fitting reminder that workplace witness isn’t primarily about having all the right answers. It’s about faithfully living as a disciple of Jesus wherever He has sent us. Watch & Listen 🎥 Watch the full Rally Point Call above. 🎙️ You can also listen on the Envoy Podcast or watch on our YouTube channel. Whether you’re leading a business, serving in the military, raising children, working a trade, teaching in a classroom, or simply seeking to honour Christ in the ordinary rhythms of life, we pray this conversation encourages you to see your work as worship and your everyday life as your mission field. “Wherever God has placed you, He has also sent you.” Closing Prayer Father, Thank You for this time with You. Thank You for the wisdom You’ve shared through Mike and for the experiences You’ve used to shape his life. Lord, I pray that none of us would leave this session simply inspired. Help us leave transformed. As we head into the day, tomorrow, and into next week, remind us that every conversation, every meeting, every challenge, every interruption, and every ordinary task is an opportunity to reflect Jesus. Give us courage when we’re afraid. Give us humility when we’re tempted toward pride. Give us integrity when compromise would be easier. Give us compassion for difficult people. Give us excellence in our work. And above all, remind us that our identity isn’t found in what we do, but in whose we are. We also pray Your continued blessing over Mike, his family, and the work You’ve entrusted to him. Protect him, strengthen him, and continue using him for Your Kingdom. We ask all of this in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen. I’m glad you’re here. Let’s run the race - Eyes Up, Chin Up! Grace and peace, Sam Johnston Youtube Channel | Spotify | Instagram | Free Faith-Business Course This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit christfocused.substack.com

  7. 19 июн.

    Month 8 - Work as Worship | Week 2: The Labor of Love

    Anchor Scripture “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23–24 Last week, we explored The Sacred 9-to-5 and discovered that work was part of God’s design before sin entered the world. Work isn’t a punishment. It’s not something we just endure until retirement. Work is one of God’s gifts to humanity and one of the primary ways we participate in His ongoing care and cultivation of creation. So this week, we take the next step. If work itself is sacred, then our motivation for work matters. The same task can either become an act of worship or simply another obligation, depending on the heart behind it. Two people can sit at the same desk, perform the same role, and produce similar results while being driven by entirely different purposes. The world often asks questions such as: What do I get out of this? How much does it pay? How quickly can I advance? Scripture directs us toward a far more important question: Who are you working for? The answer to that question has the power to transform every meeting, every responsibility, every difficult season, and every ordinary day. So this week will be covering: The Context of Colossians The Challenge of Loving Difficult People The Towel and the Basin Love as a Witness Reflection Questions Practical Action Steps The Context of Colossians When Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians, he wasn’t addressing a gathering of pastors, missionaries, or church leaders. He was writing to ordinary believers living ordinary lives. Some were merchants. Some were laborers. Some managed households. Some held positions of authority while others occupied the lowest levels of society. Yet Paul gives all of them the same instruction: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord.” That phrase is remarkably comprehensive. Paul doesn’t separate life into spiritual and secular categories. He doesn’t suggest that some work matters to God while other work is merely a practical necessity. Instead, he assumes that every legitimate vocation can become an arena for faithful discipleship. This is important, because a lot of Christians unconsciously adopt the idea that God is more interested in what happens on Sunday than what happens on Monday. We might assume He pays greater attention to sermons than spreadsheets, worship services than construction sites, mission trips than management meetings. Scripture strongly pushes against that kind of mindset. The God who created the heavens and the earth is interested in all of life. The teacher shaping young minds, the mechanic repairing vehicles, the nurse caring for patients, the entrepreneur building a company, and the parent managing a household all have opportunities to honor God through their work. Paul’s instruction reminds us that our occupation may vary, but our calling remains the same: faithfully serve God wherever He has placed us. This doesn’t mean every job becomes enjoyable. It doesn’t mean every workplace becomes healthy. Nor does it mean every believer will find deep fulfillment in every role they occupy. What it does mean, however, is that our work gains a purpose larger than ourselves. A teacher serves Christ by faithfully serving students. A parent serves Christ by faithfully caring for children. A manager serves Christ by faithfully leading people. A tradesman serves Christ through honest and excellent craftsmanship. The task may differ, but the audience of one remains the same. This is why Christian work can never be reduced to merely earning a living. Through our labor, we are ultimately serving the One who first served us. The Challenge of Loving Difficult People If serving Christ sounds inspiring in theory, the workplace quickly reminds us how difficult it can be in practice. One of the primary reasons, unfortunately, is often: People. Few things reveal the condition of our hearts more quickly than difficult relationships. A demanding customer. A critical manager. A coworker who continually frustrates us. An employee who refuses to take responsibility. A colleague who receives credit for work they did not do. Most of us naturally believe we are patient, gracious, and forgiving until circumstances require us to demonstrate those qualities. This is why Jesus’ words in Luke 6 are so challenging. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” - Luke 6:27-28 These commands are among the most radical teachings in all of Scripture because they overturn the natural instincts of the human heart. The world operates according to reciprocity. We are kind to those who are kind to us. We help those who help us. We give respect when we receive it. Jesus points His followers toward something entirely different. “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” - Luke 6:32 Kingdom love is different because it reflects the character of God Himself. God loved us while we were still sinners. Christ died for us while we were still His enemies. The gospel begins with God extending grace to people who had done nothing to deserve it. The workplace often becomes one of the primary places where we learn to apply that truth. Difficult people expose pride we did not know existed. They reveal impatience hidden beneath the surface. They uncover resentment, self-righteousness, and selfish ambition, and God often uses these relationships as tools of sanctification. The coworker who frustrates you may not be just an obstacle to endure. They may be one of the instruments God is using to shape you into the likeness of Christ. This doesn’t eliminate the need for boundaries, accountability, or wisdom. Scripture doesn’t ask believers to celebrate unhealthy behavior. But it does call us to respond differently. The Christian’s character is not determined by how others behave. It is determined by whose image they are being conformed to. The Towel and the Basin Few moments in Scripture reveal the heart of Christian work more clearly than the scene recorded in John 13. The setting and timeframe here make the account all the more remarkable. Jesus is approaching the final hours before His crucifixion. He knows where the road ahead leads. He knows betrayal is already in motion. He knows unfathomable suffering awaits Him. John also tells us that Jesus knew: “The Father had given all things into his hands” - John 13:3. In other words, Jesus was fully aware of who He was, the ultimate authority, the power, and the glory he held. He could have called down an army of angels that would wipe the earth clean at any moment. What follows is therefore not an act of willing weakness but an act of deliberate restrained strength. Rather than demanding service, Jesus begins to serve. He rises from the table, lays aside His outer garments, wraps a towel around His waist, pours water into a basin, and begins washing the feet of His disciples. To modern readers, it can be difficult to feel the full weight of that moment. Foot washing was not an honoured responsibility. It was one of the lowest tasks in the household, reserved for servants. The roads in this region during the first century were dusty, feet were exposed to the elements, and this work would have been, to say the least, unpleasant. Yet here is Jesus, with all the power and authority in the universe, the Son of God, kneeling before creation, before His disciples, and performing the work no one else wanted to do. John wants us to see the contrast. The One through whom all things were made now kneels before those He created. The Teacher serves His students. The Master serves His servants. The King takes the place of the lowest servant in the room. In many ways, this scene turns the values of the world upside down. Human beings naturally associate greatness with status, authority, recognition, and influence. We assume that as people rise in importance, they move further away from service and closer to being served. Yet Jesus presents an entirely different vision of greatness. In His kingdom, greatness is not measured by how many people serve you but by how willing you are to serve others. This is the mystery of His upside-down Kingdom. This isn’t merely a lesson in humility. It is a revelation of God’s character. The cross was still ahead, but the towel and basin were already pointing toward it. Just as Jesus would soon give His life for the salvation of others, He first gives us a living picture of sacrificial love through ordinary service. The basin becomes a preview of Calvary. Perhaps this posture of kneeling anticipates the sacrifice that was to come. After He finishes washing their feet, Jesus says to His disciples, “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” - John 13:15. His words extend far beyond that upper room to you today, sat or stood here listening or reading. They reach into every area of your life, including your work. The challenge for believers isn’t simply whether we work hard or perform well. The deeper question is whether we approach our work with the posture of Christ. Do we view our gifts, responsibilities, opportunities, and influence primarily as tools for personal advancement or as opportunities to serve others? Do we seek recognition, or do we seek faithfulness? Do we ask what our work can provide for us, or what God might accomplish through us for the good of others? The example of Jesus reminds us that Christian work is ultimately shaped by service. Whether we lead a company, manage a team, raise children, teach students, serve customers, or labor quietly behind the scenes, we follow a Savior who took a towel and a basin before He took a crown. A labor of love begins, when we learn to do the same. Love as a Witness The account of Jesus

  8. 12 июн.

    Month 8 - Work as Worship | Week 1: The Sacred 9-to-5

    Month 8 - Work as Worship | Week 1: The Sacred 9-to-5 Anchor Scripture “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”- Colossians 3:23 ESV Humanity was created as worshipping stewards, not merely worshippers who happen to work. This week we’ll explore: God’s original design for work. Why stewardship is one of humanity’s first callings. How Jesus viewed ordinary work. A biblical 4-step framework for evaluating your career and responsibilities. Practical ways to honor Christ through your daily work. The Sacred 9-to-5 For many people newly walking as disciples, work and faith can occupy separate categories. Activities such as church attendance, prayer, Bible study, and evangelism are easily recognized as spiritual pursuits. Work, however, often feels different. Meetings, budgets, construction projects, classrooms, customer calls, sales targets, spreadsheets, performance reviews, emails, and project plans can seem disconnected from what we typically think of as ministry. Especially if we are still surrounded by the secular world in our day-to-day lives, in contrast to our Christian community. It can be quite a jarring mental hurdle to get over if we don’t face it head-on. I empathise with those who have to spend the majority of their waking hours in environments where God is rarely considered, despite our sincere desire to follow Him. Without realizing it, we can begin to view our jobs as something to endure so that we can eventually return to the things that truly matter spiritually. Scripture presents a clarifying vision for us. God never intended work to be separate from worship. In fact, one of the first truths we discover about humanity from scripture is that we were created with meaningful responsibility. Work was never designed to compete with our spiritual lives. Rather, it is one of the primary arenas in which our spiritual lives are expressed. When viewed through a biblical lens, work becomes more than a means of earning a living. It becomes an opportunity to glorify God, serve others, and faithfully steward the gifts and responsibilities He has entrusted to us. Humanity’s First Calling You may be reading this, having never considered these concepts before, or just getting a refresh on it, and perhaps you are assuming that work in and of itself began as a consequence of sin. After all, work can be difficult, frustrating, and exhausting. Below, we have some scriptural clarity on this. Work existed before the Fall. Long before sin entered the world, God was working. The opening chapters of Genesis reveal a Creator who builds, orders, designs, forms, and brings life out of chaos. Then God creates humanity in His image. What happens next is significant. Adam wasn’t created and then left to discover his purpose. He was created with a purpose already attached to his identity. Before there was sin, suffering, or death, there was responsibility and accountability. Genesis 1:28 records God’s first commission to humanity: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion...” Humanity was entrusted with a Holy mission. God’s intention was not for Adam to simply exist passively within creation; it was to cultivate it, steward it, and extend God’s order throughout it. Genesis 2 provides even greater detail: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”- Genesis 2:15 The language used here is richer with meaning than we first might think. Adam was called to cultivate what God had entrusted to him, to guard it, steward it, and develop its potential. Later, he would name the animals, exercising discernment, responsibility, and leadership. The very first human being was given meaningful work before sin ever entered the world. This truth should fundamentally change how we view our own position on the earth, within the Kingdom, and what God expects of our work. Work isn’t just a way to pay bills. It’s not a distraction from spiritual life, nor is it something God tolerates until we can return to the “real ministry” activity. Meaningful work was part of God’s original design for humanity, and the meaningful element in our modern lives isn’t just the role or job title; it is what our Father would have us do within the garden he has given us to tend. Sin corrupted work, but it didn’t create it. The frustrations we experience in our jobs reflect the effects of the Fall. The existence of work itself reflects the wisdom and intention of God. Jesus and Ordinary Work This new perspective on work becomes even more powerful when we consider the life and example of Jesus on the topic. The Gospels record approximately three years of public ministry. Before that were roughly thirty years of ordinary life. For most of His earthly existence, Jesus wasn’t preaching to crowds, performing miracles, or traveling throughout Israel. He was working, learning, building, serving, and faithfully fulfilling everyday responsibilities. God could have chosen for His Son to spend His entire earthly life in public ministry. Instead, He ordained that most of Jesus’ life would unfold in the context of ordinary work and everyday patterns of life. That fact alone should reshape how we think about the value of our mundane vocations. Jesus is commonly known to have been a Carpenter; some make the case he was a stone mason. From my research, he could have been both. The original Greek word used in the Gospels is “tekton”, which translates broadly to “builder,” “craftsman,” or “artisan”, and a lot of the craft in the region at the time utilized stone. It’s an interesting topic, but the medium is less important than the description of the role: “builder,” “craftsman,” and “artisan”. Why did Jesus choose this profession? Likely because it was the work of his earthly Father Joseph. “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary...?” - Mark 6:3 “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” - Matthew 13:55 God is not absent from ordinary work. Jesus spent most of His earthly life there. The life of Christ reminds us that faithfulness in ordinary responsibilities matters deeply to God. The years Jesus spent working were not wasted years. They were part of His Father’s plan. Likewise, our daily responsibilities are not interruptions to God’s purposes. They are often the very places where His purposes are being worked out. Spiritual Vs Regular Jobs Throughout the Bible, God works through people in a wide variety of professions and roles. Daniel served God in government. Joseph served God through economic leadership. Nehemiah served God in civil administration. Lydia served God through business. Luke served God as a physician. Paul served God as a tentmaker. Their occupations differed, but their calling was the same: to honor God wherever He had placed them. Their workplaces became environments where God’s wisdom, integrity, and character were displayed. The issue was never whether their jobs were sacred. The issue was whether they belonged to God and were willing to serve Him faithfully. When a believer enters the workplace, that workplace becomes a mission field, a stewardship, and an opportunity for worship. This doesn’t mean every conversation has to become a sermon or every meeting a Bible study, or that worship music has to play as you enter every room like some WWE character. Rather, it means that our work itself can become an expression of obedience to Christ. Through excellence, integrity, service, humility, and faithfulness, we demonstrate the reality of God’s transforming work in our lives. A Biblical Framework for Work If work is part of God’s design, how do we ensure our professional lives remain aligned with Scripture? The following four questions provide a practical framework for evaluating our work through a biblical lens. What Has God Entrusted To Me? Who Am I Ultimately Working For? How Does My Work Serve Others? Does My Work Reflect God’s Character? 1. What Has God Entrusted To Me? Adam’s first responsibility was stewardship. Everything belonged to God. Adam simply managed what had been entrusted to him. The same principle applies to us today. Our careers, opportunities, skills, influence, resources, teams, and responsibilities are not ultimately our own. They have been entrusted to us by God. The Christian professional should regularly ask: “What has God placed under my care?” And then: “Am I stewarding it faithfully?” A biblical view of work begins with stewardship rather than ownership. We recognize that every opportunity is a gift and every responsibility is a trust. When we adopt this perspective, our attitude toward work changes. We become less focused on personal entitlement and more focused on faithful management. We begin to see our responsibilities not as burdens but as opportunities to honor God. 2. Who Am I Ultimately Working For? We have bills to pay, and, understandably, the primary focus for our work may just be for a salary; our goals may be for a certain promotion, recognition, or approval from people within work or outside of it. And while these motivations are understandable, Scripture redirects our focus toward a higher purpose. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”- Colossians 3:23 Managers matter. Customers matter. Employers matter. But above all of them stands Christ. The Christian does not ultimately work for a company, organization, or supervisor. The Christian works for the Lord. This perspective transforms even the most ordinary tasks. Work that might otherwise feel insignificant becomes meaningful when offered as an act of worship. Excellence is no longer dependent on whether someone is watching. Integrity is no longer determined by whether we might get caught; the outcomes of how we live and work begin to have impacts on those around us as they experience the Kingdom through us. When Chr

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  • Автор
    Envoy by Christ Focused Network
  • Годы выхода
    2025 - 2026
  • Выпуски
    56
  • Ограничения
    Без ненормативной лексики
  • Авторские права
    © Sam Johnston
  • Сайт подкаста
    Envoy Discipleship