Fellowship Meals

Posted on by korgrocker

“These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals.”
2 Peter 2:12-13 NLT

Peter continues to write about the false teachers who abounded in his day. The early Christians were particularly vulnerable to the plethora of dodgy teaching that had emerged in the First Century, and the Apostles worked hard to ensure the teachings of Jesus continued to propagate the message of God’s grace. Many heresies emerged under the heading of “false teaching” but God’s message through Jesus prevailed and left a legacy that endured. Peter’s strong and direct language perhaps communicated the extent of the problem in his day, and his impending death injected into him an urgency to warn his protégés, the early Christians in churches scattered throughout what is now modern Turkey. We find much the same message being communicated from the other Apostles – just read the early chapters of Revelation.

One place where people relax and perhaps let their guard down a bit is in a social event. The early Christians were always looking out for each other and engaged in events such as “fellowship meals”. We read the immediate response to the Gospel message in Acts 2:42, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer“. Having a meal together was a natural part of being a Christian, and the Apostle Paul encouraged us in Romans 12:13, “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality“. 1 Peter 4:9, “Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay“. Another reminder comes in Hebrews 13:16, “And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God“. And there are other verses, all painting a picture of normal Christian life in a community of “one anothers”. If a stranger drops by, even better. Hebrews 13:2, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realising it!”

There are of course those Christians who prefer to be on their own. They go to church and hurry away afterwards, not wanting to be involved in the “fellowship” bit. The writer to the Hebrews has a message for them – “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25). It’s sad when that happens because in the fellowship often comes encouragement and help. There is an old proverb, “a problem shared is a problem halved”. Galatians 6:2, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ“. We humans have been designed to socialise. Right back in Genesis 2:18, “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”” God set out a principle that has lasted.

So the New Testament message for Christians includes the encouragement to meet with one another, and often over a meal. I can remember a lunch shared in a church room with a number of older people. We had a good time sharing stories of our younger days, and eating the sandwiches and cakes provided for us. Then there was that point when I felt a Holy Spirit nudge to share Communion, the Lord’s Supper, with those present. We had some bread left over and a jug of juice, and we had a precious time remembering what Jesus had done for us by sharing his spiritual body and blood.

We don’t have to wait for a formal Communion service because Jesus said “do this oft in remembrance of me”. There doesn’t have to be an ordained minister leading the occasion. There is nothing more precious and meaningful than sharing a meal with one another and with the Lord.

Dear Father God. When we share a meal with Your people, we are fulfilling Your desires for us. Please help us overcome our natural reticence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Eldership Qualities

Posted on by korgrocker

“And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honour.”
1 Peter 5:1-4 NLT

We continue our examination of who elders are and the qualities required for this job. We have considered how an elder is entrusted with looking after the “flock”, the members of the congregation in the churches that they lead. And we also ventured into the contentious area of eldership gender. But moving on, we find that an elder must be above reproach. Titus 1:7, “A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money”. Nothing contentious there, I would think. An elder is someone who believers in his church will look up to and whose behaviour they will emulate. After all, the elders pastor those in the church, and bad behaviour or poor leadership will hardly be of value in accomplishing their core mission.

Another quality of an elder is that he must be hospitable. Titus 1:8a, “Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home … ”. Being hospitable is mentioned in several places in the Bible, and the Greek word for hospitality is, apparently, “love of strangers”. To be hospitable to anyone is often not a convenient act but one that nevertheless is something Christians are encouraged to do. When Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta, he, and his colleagues and captors, were looked after through the hospitality of a local landowner called Publius, and in Acts 28:7 we read, “Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days“. That’s hospitality. We also note from Hebrews 13:2, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” An angel in my home? Amazing? Jesus also taught on hospitality, as we read in Matthew 24:35, “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home”.

‭‭‭‭Paul added the requirement of being able to teach to the role of an elder,  “ …  and he must be able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2b). To teach in a church context means having the ability to take and read the Scriptures and expound them in a way that imparts knowledge to the listeners. The Apostles and elders in the church in Jerusalem appointed deacons so ” … we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word“. 

‭Being an elder is sometimes a thankless task but one that can also be very rewarding. We pilgrims, who sit under the ministry of elders must pray for them. Hebrews 13:17, “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit“. 

Dear Heavenly Father. We do indeed pray for our church leaders, those whom You have appointed to oversee Your local expression of the Church. Please be with them, keeping them safe, we pray. Amen.

A Multitude of Sins

Posted on by korgrocker

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.”
1 Peter 4:8-9 NLT

Peter exhorts his readers to “show deep love for each other”. This wasn’t a sentimental love, but a love based on actions rather than thoughts and emotions. And Peter writes that this love “covers a multitude of sins”. One thing that this world lacks is the agape love, the deep love, that characterises Christians everywhere. The ways of the world are focused on the “what’s in it for me” syndrome, with little loving thoughts for others, but Peter explained that this “deep love” is most important, and indeed it is because without it our fellowships would disintegrate. 

Peter envisages his readers are in fellowship groups where this love brings forgiveness, covering over any sin that is present. Sins perhaps committed against each other, like angry outbursts, or petty theft. Gossip or the like. And the “deep love” present between the believers will motivate them to reach out to each other, and not reply in kind in a worldly way. However, we notice that before there can be forgiveness there has to be repentance. The words of Jesus from Luke 17:3-4, “So watch yourselves! “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive””. Peter probably remembered the time when he asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone. Matthew 18:21-22, “Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!” We should remember that God has forgiven us many times over for our sins. The least we can do is to extend that grace to those who sin against us.

Peter continue to encourage his readers with the exhortation to be hospitable. In Hebrews 13:2 we read, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realising it!” In my own experience, there have been times when my wife and I have invited a visitor to our church back for Sunday lunch, but during the drive home we have fretted over whether or not the roast joint would be big enough. And amazingly, prayer during the carving worked wonders! Why do we worry with such a loving Heavenly Father who knows just what we need? But do we know anyone who needs a meal? Or who needs a bed for the night? In Peter’s society that might have been a common occurrence, but is less so today. Nevertheless, we always need to be prepared. 

Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends“. This is a verse often used in an evangelistic way, but in the context of Revelation 3, Jesus was speaking to Christians. Perhaps one day there will be a knock at our door, with Jesus waiting to come in. We may not recognise Him (remember the disciples on the Emmaus Road?) but we always need to be ready to be hospitable to strangers.

Dear Lord. You do indeed knock at the doors of our hearts, when we neglect Your and Your ways. Please forgive us, we pray. Amen.

Practice Hospitality

Posted on by korgrocker

“When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.”
Romans 12:13 NLT

Paul’s pastoral heart emerges with the verse we are considering this morning. He was concerned with the social needs of his day, and, in particular, the needs of the early Christians. Note that he didn’t start this verse with an “if”, but rather with a “when”. It was a reality that in the early church there were some who were needy. But what was the “need” that Paul observed?

The counter-cultural faith of the early Christians was considered subversive by the Roman-orientated government and societies of their time. And there was a reaction to them, that made it difficult for the early believers to be in business, or be involved with the non-Christians around them. They were too different, with their Gospel that there is only one true God. Their sexual ethics were distinct, promoting chaste behaviour and monogamic relationships between husbands and wives. They were anti-abortionists.  They refused to worship the  gods of their neighbours, considering it idolatry. They promoted a faith that was based on a love relationship with God, and salvation through grace. They were a community. They were, in fact, so different to the peoples around them that they both attracted and repelled them, and the church growth at that time was dramatic. 

But the reaction against them in their societies resulted in their having “needs”. Social justice was a part of the early church ethos, so why did Paul have to remind them of their obligations? Don’t forget that the church in Rome was an amalgam of Jewish and Gentile Christians, and perhaps some of the rivalry, even dislike, prevailed. Also, within the growing nascent church, it would have been easy to overlook those particularly on the margins. Paul wasn’t specific about which needs should be helped. He was just encouraging the people to look out for them and help them in whatever way possible. The second half of today’s verse mentions “hospitality”. Be eager to practice it, he wrote. Perhaps he was saying to these early Christians, invite God’s people around for a meal. A coffee and chat. )pen up your homes and have a party, he was perhaps saying.

To provide a clue of how the early church started can be found in the last few verses of Acts 2, “And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved” (Acts 2:44-47). Counter-cultural? If that described our local churches today we would be living in a different society.

There are those today, concerned with social justice, who look to the state to provide for people’s needs. The response expected is one of finance. Increase the benefits and eliminate poverty, they demand. More universal credit and state pensions. More housing benefit and council tax concessions. The demands are strident and never seem to end. I should point out that I agree that needy people should be helped, but, sadly, we have become confused between what is a “need” and what is a “want”. The early church made sure that people were fed – Acts 6:1, “But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food”. Note that the need at the time was for feeding those who were unable to feed themselves because of their status in society – widows. And perhaps Paul knew that the same problem between different factions – Jews and Gentiles – in the Roman church was already present elsewhere. But they dealt with it. Needs were met.

So how does Romans 12:13 impact us today? How do we pilgrims respond? The main feature for me is that the early church was growing explosively because it was different. Their morals, their community, their focus on one God, who loved them, cared for them, and had saved them through His Son Jesus, were so counter-cultural that they polarised society. The early Christians upset the idol worshippers around them because they refused to accommodate and recognise their many goods. They were society confronters, and not afraid of the consequences, even being prepared to die for their faith in God. Perhaps we have an opportunity today to confront a new reincarnation of the Roman deities – the gender ideologies. We have to point out to society around us that their “need” is not the ability to change gender at whim but instead it is to embrace the one true God. We have the right and true message. How are we promoting it? Are we hunkered down with our heads below the parapet, hoping the problem will go away? or are we too, like those early believers, willing to face the consequences of being society-confronters.

But back to “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them”. Peoples’ needs are many and often complex. We immediately think of the the basics of life such as food and drink, warmth and shelter. But most of the time in our societies there are many others. In the news this morning there are statistics reported that show a pandemic of mental health issues amongst the young people in the UK. In my community the biggest issue is not financial. It is loneliness. And the community of “God’s people” is not immune from these problems. We pilgrims need to be aware of people’s needs, and not be put off by the “fine” response at the church door. Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit with us, and He is willing and able to empower us to discern the needs before us. Fulfilling Paul’s entreaty to “be ready” will cost us. Our time and money. OIur reputations and even our careers. Much prayer is needed. We probably won’t see any rewards in this life but one day we will near those precious words, “Well done …”.

Dear Father God. We worship You today. Thank You for Your loving kindness, and always being there for us in our times of need. Amen.