PENTECOST • 3

Are we partnering God in his work?

SONGS FOR PRAYER

reading for: Tuesday Night, 13 JUNE

Matthew 9:35-10:23

God calls his disciples to partner him in his work

  • READ

    Jesus went throughout all the different cities and villages, working to bring physical and spiritual healing to the crowds. He did the work of a doctor as we have last week when he performed numerous healings.

    Matthew 9:35–38 (ESV)

    35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

    Jesus did the work of a doctor bringing spiritual healing and physical healing to those that he met. He preached the gospel to them and had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He asked his disciples to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out labourers into the harvest.

    Matthew 10:5–23 (ESV)

    5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. 16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

    Jesus then proceeded to sent out his disciples giving them strict instructions on what they were to do and say. They were to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. They were being sent out as sheep in the midst of the wolves. Jesus warns them that they will be persecuted and dragged before rulers and governors but they are not to be anxious. The Spirit of the Father will speak through them.

    The disciples are called by Jesus to do the work of a doctor and worker to heal the sick both physically and spiritually. They were to preach and teach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. This work is what Jesus did and is doing and now he calls his disciples to do the same. What the restriction for that time was only to the lost sheep of Israel, Jesus’s words to us on the other side of the cross is clear in Matthew 28 that we are teach the word in all the world. The prohibition to the house of world was a prohibition only for that time.

  • REFLECT

Jesus is sending us to bring healing to the people around us. Will we partner him in doing this work of healing? Pray that God will show us one or two people around us that we can bring healing to and then pray that we have the strength to obey him.

reading for: Wednesday Night, 14 JUNE

Genesis 18:1-15,21:1-7

God works in ways that we cannot imagine

  • READ

    Today, we are looking at two passages from Genesis 18:1-15 and Genesis 21:1-7. Let us begin with Genesis 18:1-15.

    Genesis 18:1–15 (ESV)

    1 And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. 9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

    The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre as Abraham sat at the door of his tent. Abraham looked and saw three men standing in front of him. He paid homage to the three men and provided a place of rest for the three men and served them food. The three men asked Abraham where Sarah is and Abraham said that she is in the tent. The Lord said to Abraham that about this time next year, he will surely return to Abraham and Sarah shall have a son. Sarah and Abraham were both aged and it was nearly impossible for them to bear a son. Sarah laughed to herself and did not believe. The Lord knew that she laughed and hence told Abraham that at the appointed time next year he will return to you and Sarah shall have a son.

    Genesis 21 is the fulfilment of the promises that the Lord gave to Abraham in Genesis 18 but even earlier than that in Genesis 12.

    Genesis 21:1–7 (ESV)

    1 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

    The Lord fulfilled his promise to Abraham and Sarah for Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the promised time. Abraham named his son Isaac and circumcised him. Sarah was again filled with laughter for she has borne Abraham a son in his old age.

    Bearing a son in old age is nearly impossible. Yet, the promises of the Lord to Abraham will never fail and it will come to pass. The timing however is not for Abraham to control and Abraham must live everyday dependent on the Lord. Not only Abraham will not own any land in the promise land and must live every day asking the Lord is it time to move out, but he must also trust God daily that the Lord will follow his promises for his name to be great.

  • REFLECT

    God’s ways are higher than our ways and we do not always understand his ways. He works in ways that we cannot imagine. Who could imagine that a 100 year old man with a 90 year old wife could have a son? Yet, God declared it and at the appropriate time it came to pass.

    Reflect on what are some ways that God is leading you. Maybe this ways are too difficult and lofty for us, but may we find the strength to obey him. Pray that we will obey him to do what he commands of us.

reading for: Thursday Night, 15 jUNE

Romans 5:1-8

God is working in us through our sufferings

  • READ

    In the world today, few people like to suffer. Many of us want to have a prosperous and peaceful life. Yet in the world there is often suffering that comes to us for a variety of reasons. Today, we are looking at Romans 5:1-8 which speaks about suffering and how God is working in us through suffering to produce hope.

    Romans 5:1–8 (ESV)

    1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

    The passage for today starts with our identity in Christ as the ones who are justified by faith and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have access by faith into grace and we can rejoice in hope of the glory of God. This is who we are in Christ as the justified ones who are at peace with God and can rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

    Paul then speaks about suffering and how suffering produces endurance, and then character and then hope and this hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit.  All this takes place because Christ died for us while we were still sinners showing his love for us.

    Suffering is not new to us in the modern world and in Paul’s day and beyond the Church has faced different kinds of suffering for Christ. Many have been persecuted, tortured, and killed for their faith. This kind of suffering for Christ still exist today. However, there is another kind of suffering in which the modern church faces perhaps in a magnitude like no other in history. This suffering is one in which we are faced with a myriad of distractions that we suffer and this cause us to take our eyes of Jesus. We must continually remember who we are in Christ, continually set our gaze on him and do his work.

  • REFLECT

    We have looked at two kinds of suffering, the suffering of pain and the suffering of pleasure. We go through both kinds of suffering as we live life. Let us remember that both suffering seeks to take our eyes of Jesus and focus on our pleasure or pity. However, we must learn to endure and persevere, setting our eyes on Jesus and doing his work. Only then will hope be produced.

    Reflect on what are some pleasures that you are immersed in that cause you take your eyes of Jesus and pray that Jesus will help you to continually set your gaze on him and for you to obey him in doing what he has called us to do.

reading for: Friday Night, 16 JUNE

Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

Praise the Lord for he rescues us

  • READ

    Psalm 116 is a thanksgiving psalm that commemorates how the Lord has delivered the Psalmist from a near death distress.

    Psalm 116:1–2 (ESV)

    1 I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. 2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

    The Psalmist declares his love for the Lord because the Lord has heard his voice and his cries for mercy in the midst of his distress. The Lord inclined his ear to the Psalmist and hence the Psalmist will call on the Lord as long as he lives.

    Psalm 116:12–19 (ESV)

    12 What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, 14 I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. 16 O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds. 17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. 18 I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, 19 in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

    The psalmist asks what he shall render to the Lord for all the benefits of the Lord that has been given to him. He declares that he will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, paying his vows to the Lord in the presence of the people. The psalmist sees himself as a servant of the Lord and he will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord. Praise the Lord!

  • REFLECT

    The Lord is our redeemer and our very present help in time of need. He is the one that rescues us when we are in the pit and in danger. Reflect on one moment in your life that the Lord has rescued you when there was no hope in that situation. Praise the Lord for that situation! Praise the Lord reciting the words of this psalm. Praise the Lord!

Season of PentecostCNL