PENTECOST • 18

Do You Submit to God’s Authority?

SONGS FOR PRAYER

reading for: Tuesday Night, 26 september

Matthew 21:23-32

Do we have integrity before God?

  • READ

    23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

     

    28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

     

    Matthew has put three parables together here to show the stubbornness of the Jewish leadership: the Two Sons, the Wicked, and the Wedding Feast. The three parables show Jesus’ increasingly strong criticism of the Jewish leaders’ refusal to see and receive Him as the Anointed One, God’s promised Messiah, the one who comes with God’s authority.

    The parable is connected with the question about Jesus’ authority and emphasizes actual obedience to the will of God, not just merely claiming to do so (e.g., 7:15-27, especially 21-23; and 19:16-22). Jesus is criticizing Israel’s leaders of claiming to serve God when they do not (v 23:3) It also asserts that the repentance movement begun by John the Baptist and that continues with Jesus’s ministry, is the work of God that leads to the kingdom.  

  • REFLECT

God seeks and requires fruitful and obedient living from his people. Claiming to be obedient or appearing to be productive are not enough. Real, authentic faith is demonstrated through decisions and choices in life and actions that align with our words. Believing and doing are not two separate things. God is looking for integrity in our lives before Him.

Talk and external appearances are cheap; what counts is actually doing the will of the Father from the heart (cf. Matt 7:15-27). Any separation of believing and doing is a distortion of the gospel message and is directly confronted by this parable. A person cannot believe apart from obedience.

Do you mean what you say? Do you say what you mean? Do your closest family members and friends agree? Invite God to reveal the areas of your life He is currently working on to ‘integrate’ and make ‘whole’. Submit to his authority and find ways to facilitate His work in and around you.

reading for: Wednesday Night, 27 september

Exodus 17:1-7

Trusting the Lord as one people

  • READ

    Israel continued its journey in the Wilderness of Sin and camped at Rephidim. Again, there was no water for the people to drink. How did the people respond? Did they remember the provision of the Lord who previously gave them water to drink?

    Exodus 17:1–7 (ESV)

    1 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

    Scripture tells us that the people did not trust God and His provision and again quarreled with Moses and asked Moses to provide water for them. Moses asked them why did they test the Lord? They grumbled and did not trust the mercies of God and murmured that God brought them out of Egypt to kill them.

    Moses, perhaps in desperation, cried out to the Lord and asked what he should do with these people. For they were ready to stone Moses. The Lord commanded Moses to take some of the elders of Israel and go ahead of the people. Moses was to stand before the Lord on the rock at Horeb and strike the rock. Water would come out of the rock and the people would be able to drink. Moses obeyed the Lord and did as the Lord commanded him and water came out of the rock.

    The people of Israel did not trust the Lord. They questioned the mercies that He had extended to them in the past and saw their current predicament as punishment. Yet God still showed them mercy and gave them the water that they needed.

  • REFLECT

    We may be thinking, surely the Israelites are a terrible group of people who are obstinate and don’t learn their lesson. Time after time, provision after provision, they refused to trust God. They only know how to complain and grumble.

    Like the Israelites, we have also been shown mercy upon mercy by the Lord. He has redeemed us from darkness into light, from slavery into freedom. He has provided for us and kept us healthy and strong. Take a moment to recount one instance in the past year where he has shown you mercy and grace and thank God for his mercy. As we go through the week, let us encourage each other to trust and depend on God, no matter what this week may look like.

reading for: Thursday Night, 28 september

Philippians 2:1-13

Imitating the Life of Christ

  • READ

    2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

    12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

    Last week, we hear Paul’s plead to the church in Philippi to conduct their lives in manners that would square up with the gospel of Christ. Paul was convinced that their lives are to be shaped by the gospel and ought to be consistent with the good news they believe.

    Tonight’s reading is a continuation of Paul’s plead as he calls the Philippians to follow the example of Christ. Paul begins by calling them to love one another and to be of one mind (v1-2). He then exhorts them to seek the good and to serve the interests of others (v3-4). He wanted the Philippians to think of themselves the way Christ thought of himself and in doing so, imitates the humility of Christ who humbled himself, became a man, and was obedient even unto death  (v5-8).

    On account of his humility and obedience, God highly exalted Jesus and bestowed upon him the name that is above every name so that every creature in heaven and on earth will bend their knees before Jesus and confess that He is Lord (v9-11). Therefore, Paul urges the Philippians who have been obedient to keep at it, to remain faithful and to continue working out their salvation with fear and trembling while trusting that God himself will bring to fruition his will and work in them (v12-13).

  • REFLECT

    For those of us who claim to follow Christ, our lives must follow up. If we identity ourselves as a Christian and call Jesus our Lord, we must imitate his life and live as our Lord did. There is no alternate route.

    If Jesus who is God, had to humble himself to become a human, had to learn obedience through suffering, to the point of death, and had to suffer death on a cross, what more of us? Surely, a student is not above his teacher and a servant is no greater than his master.

    Will you adopt the same posture that Christ did and think of yourself the way He thought of Himself? Will you seek the good and interests of others at your own expense? Will you lay aside your rights and serve without any recognition or reward? Will you be obedient even if it means certain death?

    Tonight’s reading is a call to imitate Christ, to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord with bended knees, and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. May you and I respond accordingly, appropriately and adequately to God as he speaks to us through His Word.

reading for: FRIDAY Night, 29 september

Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16

Grounded In God for Our Children

  • READ

    Psalms 78 might seem like a simple recounting of Israel's history and God's faithfulness. But digging deeper, it's the longest historical Psalm; Psalms that retell the history of Israel for the sake of leading us into prayer.

    The purpose of this retelling is that we might learn hidden lessons from the past (v. 2).

    That these truths and lessons would be shared with the next generation (v.4). That they would know about the works, wonders and power of God.

    Stretching even further, its so that each generation might set its hope anew on God, remembering God's works and obeying His commandments (v.7).

    So that they would not be like their ancestors, but be a people with soft, humble and faithful hearts towards God (v. 8).

    Verses 12-16 then becomes a retelling of God's work and salvation for Israel as they journeyed out of Egypt. A display of God's work, showcasing His power to bring wonder and worship. This is why God did what He did.

  • REFLECT

    Do you yearn and long for your children and grandchildren to know God and give their lives to Him?

    Do you yearn for them to live lives that bear witness to God's love and faithfulness?

    We as their "ancestors" must be doing that first.

    We as their "ancestors" must first be close and devoted to God.

    We must know God's laws, His teachings, be able to see His works and wonders in our everyday lives.

    Pray and ask the Lord for a way to start and strengthen that in your life and for your family.

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