Redeemer reads Ephesians 4
As we read Ephesians this morning, Toby challenges us to raise our expectations for when we meet together on a Sunday, even online!
Welcome! Here at Redeemer we believe that the Bible is the word of God, that it’s alive, and that its words can and should shape every aspect of our lives as Christians. But we also know it’s not easy to get into the habit of reading it every day! So we are following the CBR Bible Reading plan - which can be found below - to help us read the bible together.
We are currently reading the book of Ephesians, and every week day we will be releasing a video on our social media & YouTube accounts, with a member of our Redeemer family explaining what they feel God is saying to them through the passage!
Today we hear from Toby as he shares with us from Ephesians 4
If you have time, and a desire to know more, you’ll find ideas for further study of todays passage below.
Further Study
In this episode of the Word of the week podcast, entitled Gift Wrapped Grace, K. Edward Copeland, of New Zion Baptist Church, Illinois, preaches on Ephesians 4:7–16.
“Most people think a church calls a pastor to do the work. The Bible says God calls a pastor to equip the people to do the work.” — K. Edward Copeland
Redeemer reads Ephesians 3
Welcome! Here at Redeemer we believe that the Bible is the word of God, that it’s alive, and that its words can and should shape every aspect of our lives as Christians. But we also know it’s not easy to get into the habit of reading it every day! So we are following the CBR Bible Reading plan - which can be found below - to help us read the bible together.
We are currently reading the book of Ephesians, and every week day we will be releasing a video on our social media & YouTube accounts, with a member of our Redeemer family explaining what they feel God is saying to them through the passage!
Today we hear from Vashti as she shares with us from Ephesians 3
If you have time, and a desire to know more, you’ll find ideas for further study of todays passage below.
If you’ve enjoyed Ephesians so far, and would like to go deeper and continue to study it past the beginning of next week, one way to do that would be to get hold of Sit, Walk, Stand by Watchman Nee. One of the most famous studies of Ephesians, it opens our eyes to the simple process of maturing as a Christian. Sit (our position in Christ), Walk (our life in the world), Stand (our attitude to the enemy). It’s available for less than £4 on Amazon!
Redeemer reads Ephesians 2
As we read Ephesians 2 together, Ryan talks to us about unity, and how it is rooted in our identity in Christ.
Welcome! Here at Redeemer we believe that the Bible is the word of God, that it’s alive, and that its words can and should shape every aspect of our lives as Christians. But we also know it’s not easy to get into the habit of reading it every day! So we are following the CBR Bible Reading plan - which can be found below - to help us read the bible together.
We are currently reading the book of Ephesians, and every week day we will be releasing a video on our social media & YouTube accounts, with a member of our Redeemer family explaining what they feel God is saying to them through the passage!
Today we hear from Ryan as he shares with us from Ephesians 2.
If you have time, and a desire to know more, you’ll find ideas for further study of todays passage below.
In the video above Ryan helped us to celebrate the unity we step into when we become alive in Christ, and that is the main focus of this John Piper message from 2012, as he helps us understand 9 obstacles to racial unity.
Also, check out this dramatic reading of Ephesians 2:1-8!
Redeemer reads Ephesians 1
In our first video on Ephesians, Anna encourages us to focus on what Paul says about our identity in Christ!
Welcome! Here at Redeemer we believe that the Bible is the word of God, that it’s alive, and that its words can and should shape every aspect of our lives as Christians. But we also know it’s not easy to get into the habit of reading it every day! So we are following the CBR Bible Reading plan - which can be found below - to help us read the bible together.
We are currently reading the book of Ephesians, and every week day we will be releasing a video on our social media & YouTube accounts, with a member of our Redeemer family explaining what they feel God is saying to them through the passage!
Today we hear from Anna as she shares with us from Ephesians 1.
If you have time, and a desire to know more, you’ll find ideas for further study of todays passage below.
Jonathan Griffiths serves as lead pastor of the Metropolitan Bible Church in Ottawa, Canada. He previously served on the staff of the Proclamation Trust here in London, studied theology at Oxford and Cambridge universities and is the author of a number of books—most recently, Preaching in the New Testament (IVP, 2017).
In this sermon on Ephesians 1:15–23, he talks about the need for our hearts to be enlightened to see the beauty of our salvation.
Lockdown Peace
Steve Page discusses how he feels a little like the disciples did on Easter Saturday, and why that’s exciting!
‘Lockdown’ – that sounds familiar
We’ve been spending time in the gospel of John - first looking at the account of the Passion and more recently looking at the ‘I am’ statements made by Jesus which give a mind-blowing insight into who He is.
But I keep going back to Easter and the aftermath of Jesus’ death.
The confusion of Easter Saturday resonates with me. What was going on? This wasn’t in the script as His disciples understood it.
In John 20 (Sunday evening of the Easter weekend in the timeline) the disciples were still frightened, still confused – and staying behind locked doors!
Then it happened – as they were huddled together,
worried about the consequences of leaving their safe place,
speculating about what would happen next (some of them had seen the empty tomb and the women said they had seen Jesus…),
in the middle of their fear and confusion –
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders…
JESUS CAME AND STOOD AMONG THEM AND HE SAID, “PEACE BE WITH YOU!
John 20:19
The peace of God and the God of peace
In Philippians 4 Paul (who had more than his fair share of trauma) writes about this peace:
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent and praiseworthy – think about such things…
And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:5-9
Lord Jesus
in our restricted space
amongst the speculation and uncertainty,
with our emotions exhausted and our anxiety fuelled daily,
come, Lord Jesus, stand among us
and speak your peace into our households
and set it guard over our hearts and minds.
And the people of God said with one voice:
AMEN
Steve Page
This blog was inspired by the movement of the Holy Spirit during one of our weekly Zoom Prayer Meetings which are happening on every Wednesday night! If you want to join us, then let us know by filling our an I’m New Here Form or by emailing hello@redeemerlondon.org
Redeemer reads Galatians 6
This morning as we finish Galatians together, Pete prays that we might be defined by the love that we show to one another.
Welcome! We’re currently reading through the book of Galatians together as a church! We’ll be reading a chapter each week day, beginning on Friday the 15th of May, and concluding on Friday the 22nd. We’re following the reading plan in the CBR Journal, which can also be found HERE.
Each day a member of the Redeemer family will be sharing with us some thoughts in video form, which can be seen above, previous days videos can be found on our Youtube channel. We’ll also be publishing blogs with more thoughts on the passages we’ve read, along with some ideas for those who want to study the passage further. We’re really looking forward to seeing God bear fruit in and through us as a church as we read his word, even during this challenging time.
Today Pete will be sharing with us his thoughts on Galatians 6.
All through his letter to the Galatians, Paul has been alluding to a division between members of the church, in this, the final chapter of the book, he directly confronts the division, and brings his emphasis on freedom into a specific context.
In this situation, the freedom that the Holy Spirit brings is a freedom to love! When we are filled with the Holy Spirit it increases our capacity to love others, it compels us to humble ourselves and carry the burdens of others, and it causes us to seek to do good to others, especially others who believe.
There will always be temptation to live to please ourselves, to ‘sow to please the flesh’ as it says in verse 8. Especially during this time the easiest thing to do is often to focus on ourselves, and what we’re going through, but in the opening verses of this final chapter Paul is calling on us to look to others, and to see where they may need our love and our compassion. But I also want to encourage you today, if you are carrying burdens of your own, to seek out others in the Redeemer family! We are all called to carry each others burdens, which is especially important in this time. None of us need to go through anything alone.
In the second half of this chapter Paul goes on to conclude his argument against the false teachers. Throughout the letter he has been emphasising, again and again, through his own experience and the experience of the Galatians, that freedom and adoption into God’s family comes by faith, and not by works. Now he presents the Galatians with the choice, between him and the other teachers, he tells them how the false teachers are focused on the flesh, whereas he himself is focused on what we should all be focused on - the cross of Jesus Christ.
False teaching will always look appealing, because it will always try to obscure the cross, the most scandalous act of grace in all of history. But in doing this, it lacks any sort of real weight when held up against the true gospel. When we choose to follow the true gospel, we choose to come to the cross, we join with Christ in his rejection and suffering, we choose not to put our trust in this world, but in the everlasting new creation which has begun with the resurrection of Jesus.
In this time of confusion, frustration and despair for many of us, we can still choose to look back at the cross and the empty grave, the turning point of history, and know that because of Jesus, and only Jesus, we are free, and living with an eternal hope.
Further Study
Tim Keller is a world renowned Christian author and teacher, and he delivered the message below on Galatians 6, at the Gospel Coalition conference in April 2017.
Redeemer reads Galatians 5
This morning as we read Galatians 5 together, Matt takes us through just what true freedom looks like for us as Christians.
Welcome! Over the next week we will be reading through the book of Galatians together as a church! We’ll be reading a chapter each week day, beginning on Friday the 15th of May, and concluding on Friday the 22nd. We’re following the reading plan in the CBR Journal, which can also be found HERE.
Each day a member of the Redeemer family will be sharing with us some thoughts in video form, which can be seen above, previous days videos can be found on our Youtube channel. We’ll also be publishing blogs with more thoughts on the passages we’ve read, along with some ideas for those who want to study the passage further. We’re really looking forward to seeing God bear fruit in and through us as a church as we read his word, even during this challenging time.
Today Matt will be sharing with us his thoughts on Galatians 5.
In the first section of today’s passage, Paul continues to talk about what freedom looks like for those who are followers of Jesus, and defined by the fact they are children of God. However rather than just talking generally, he focuses specifically on the issue which the Galatians were struggling with. False teachers had arrived in Galatia after Paul had left, and had begun to successfully convince some of the Christians there that to really become “proper Christians”, they must be circumcised! Paul is aiming to change their perspective on these teachings.
The reality is that though the specific issue may have changed for us, we can still fall prey to the same false teachings that the Galatians did. We can choose to believe that it is something which we accomplish which gains us the right to be children of God, that is not only untrue, but it separates us from being able to truly understand, and partly reject the grace and love shown through Jesus’ death on a cross for us! That’s a dangerous place to be!
It is so important, especially in times like this, when we can feel so powerless to achieve anything for ourselves, that we remember Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1
The second half of the chapter, from verse 13-25, is a continuation of Paul’s explaining just how to live by that very first verse. Focusing on how slavery can also look like a lack of religion, and falling back into being servants of our own desires.
Doing whatever we want is not true freedom, when whatever we want is to satisfy the desires of our old self. True freedom as a follower of Jesus comes from divine sonship, from submitting to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and serving others above ourselves, out of love.
My prayer for you today is that you choose to live by the very first verse in today’s passage, and that God would pour out his Holy Spirit on you today, that you might not be burdened again by a yoke of slavery, but instead walk in true freedom!
Further Study
T. J. Tims is lead pastor of Immanuel Nashville. He earned a BA from Southeastern Bible College, an MA from King’s College London in 2010, and is a PhD candidate at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
In this podcast, Tims walks us through Galatians 5:5-6 and reminds us why we need to hear the gospel again and again.
Lockdown Diaries - Mandy
In the first of a new blog series, Mandy Hudson talks of how she’s been reminded of God’s faithfulness during this time.
Today we launch a new blog series - Lockdown Diaries, where we hear from members of our Redeemer family about how they have seen God at work in their lives, even in the middle of the current lockdown.
Today’s lockdown diary is written by Mandy Hudson.
“We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
2 Chronicles 20v12
We are living through probably the most unsettling few weeks of our lives.
I’ve been a Christian for over forty-three years now and have been blessed by having a close relationship with Jesus. My personal circumstances haven’t always been easy, but God has proved His faithfulness time and time again.
Just before lockdown, my care needs had been re-assessed by adult social care. The process, which had been nothing short of traumatic three years ago was miraculously completed in eight weeks enabling me to benefit from agency care when the social isolation rules were enforced.
This is just one example of God’s marvellous provision for me in these difficult times we are all facing.
The most unsettling part of this crisis for me was when we were moving towards lockdown. I found myself having to shift gear from a life hurtling at great speed to a complete standstill in a matter of days.
I wasn’t at all well when the lockdown began. It’s at these times of greatest weakness, I find that God makes His power and strength perfect. He proves His grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12 v9). What a comfort to be safe resting in Jesus at these times.
Don’t get me wrong - these are tough times.
I thought I’d be able to roll along in my own little happy spiritual bubble – until the morning I woke up to find someone had dumped a bed immediately outside my flat. I was so angry and upset by it. I had to realise one can never escape one’s own bad temper!
Thank you, Jesus, that you love us unconditionally and are constantly refining our character. These weeks are the perfect opportunity to learn more about how we live life to the full as we keep our eyes fixed on Him
Hallelujah!
Mandy Hudson
Redeemer reads Galatians 4
Today as we read Galatians 4 as a church, Ross & Hannah help to remind us it’s not about us, but all about Jesus, and that through him we are made heirs of God’s incredible promises!
Welcome! Over the next week we will be reading through the book of Galatians together as a church! We’ll be reading a chapter each week day, beginning on Friday the 15th of May, and concluding on Friday the 22nd. We’re following the reading plan in the CBR Journal, which can also be found HERE.
Each day a member of the Redeemer family will be sharing with us some thoughts in video form, which can be seen above, previous days videos can be found on our Youtube channel. We’ll also be publishing blogs with more thoughts on the passages we’ve read, along with some ideas for those who want to study the passage further. We’re really looking forward to seeing God bear fruit in and through us as a church as we read his word, even during this challenging time.
Today Ross & Hannah will be sharing with us their thoughts on Galatians 4 in the video above.
Today’s chapter of Galatians sees a continuation of Paul’s desire to prevent the Galatian church from coming back under the law, but he uses a new tactic! He has previously talked about justification, but now he begins to talk about freedom, and that the choice to live under the law is like choosing to return to being slaves! At the root of Paul’s argument here is the fundamental change in identity that occurs when we choose to believe the truth of the gospel. We are now children of God!
When Jesus won the victory over sin and death, he won for us adoption, out of the slavery we were living in, and into true freedom as God’s sons and daughters.
The first 11 verses of this chapter are split into two sections, verses 1-7 talk about how we have been brought into sonship by Christ. In verses 1-2 Paul explains how the Jewish people were like heirs who are children when they lived under the law, that they were being pointed in the direction of the true freedom they could one day receive, but still living lives similar to those lived by slaves, because of the rules they had to follow. But this status was changed when Jesus died, as he redeemed those who had been living under the law, and had not lived up to its impossible standard. As believers in Christ we are no longer living like children under the law, but instead are sons, and are guided by the Holy Spirit, the presence of the living Jesus is within us!
Verses 8-11 go on to talk about the temptation to return, which is not only about returning to being under the law, but is also aimed at those who are Gentiles (which includes us!), and warns them about returning to being enslaved to the false gods of this world. But there is also a threat that we can fall into the same trap as the Jewish people too, we can start to think that living as a Christian is about doing whatever you can to increase your own stature in the eyes of other christians and even in the eyes of God. It is so crucial that we don’t fall down this rabbit hole, but instead choose to use the truth in this passage to remind us that we don’t need to prove our worth to receive God’s incredible gift of grace to us.
Further Study
If you have enjoyed reading Galatians with us over the last week or so, but would like to spend more time studying the text and exploring it at a deeper theological level, then good news!
Dr. Douglas Moo, Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College Graduate School, is an acknowledged expert in the writings and theology of Paul. His commentary on Romans is among the best ever written, and he is working on a new commentary on Galatians. In the freely available course linked below, Professor Moo - in association with The Gospel Coalition - will walk you through the book of Galatians and will spend considerable time summarizing Paul’s basic theology.
Redeemer reads Galatians 3
This morning Logan shares with us as we read Galatians 3, challenging us not to live like modern day Pharisees but live full of the power of the Holy Spirit!
Welcome! Over the next week we will be reading through the book of Galatians together as a church! We’ll be reading a chapter each week day, beginning on Friday the 15th of May, and concluding on Friday the 22nd. We’re following the reading plan in the CBR Journal, which can also be found HERE.
Each day a member of the Redeemer family will be sharing with us some thoughts in video form, which can be seen above, previous days videos can be found on our Youtube channel. We’ll also be publishing blogs with more thoughts on the passages we’ve read, along with some ideas for those who want to study the passage further. We’re really looking forward to seeing God bear fruit in and through us as a church as we read his word, even during this challenging time.
Today Logan will be sharing with us his thoughts on Galatians 3 in the video above.
In these verses, Paul begins more directly to attack the distortions of the gospel that are “bewitching” the Galatian believers. It appears that the most prominent aspect of the false teachers’ message was that Gentile believers in Christ needed to observe the law of Moses in order to truly belong to the people of God. For Paul, this was unthinkable, since the law was given as a preparation, for the purpose of helping people die to the law (“through the law I died to the law”; Gal. 2:19). Now that Christ has come, the desire to return to something that was meant as a preparation for Christ reveals a deep misunderstanding of the very purpose of the law. In Galatians 3:1–14, Paul seeks to convince the Galatians of this by referring to experience, to the history of Israel (particularly regarding Abraham), and to what the Scriptures themselves say about law and faith.
Becoming members of God’s people and heirs of God’s promises does not come by observing the Jewish law, but by placing one’s faith in Christ! What a great reminder this morning!
When Paul seeks to convince the Galatians of how God’s blessings came to them entirely apart from their effort, he immediately speaks of the Spirit. The influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is one of the chief ways we experience God’s grace. His work in us is not something we earn or achieve; inward change by the power of the Spirit is given to us who are united to Christ by faith. God joins every believer to himself by his Spirit and enables each of them to experience his redeeming power.
I pray that today will be a day of knowing God’s grace over your life, placing your faith in Christ, and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit.
How Hope Carries Us Through This Pandemic
It’s been 8 weeks since we’ve been in lockdown in London and there are now talks of a lockdown being eased. As this happens, and off the back of this Sunday’s message at Redeemer, Ann Ajet talks to us about hope.
It’s been 8 weeks since we’ve been in lockdown in London and there are now talks of a lockdown being eased. My prevailing feelings of boredom, memories of the unfettered ways I could be enjoying my day is bubbling to a strong, heightened sense of longing. I most look forward to alfresco dining amidst the emerging summer breeze in the warm company of family & friends.
This is my Hope, a return to all the things I once found simple pleasure in.
It seems that hope has a purpose, it reframes our present. Hope is a feeling of expectation that something good will happen. Because the current pandemic causes us to press pause on the present, it focuses our attention on the future. It’s our envisioned future that helps us get through the now and suggests there’s something about our present that we are discontent with while we wait for what we want.
God created us as embodied social human beings who thrive off the energy of others, isolation has severely curtailed that for me. I miss the urban life and the kinetic buzz garnered from being in a room packed full of people. I miss the spontaneous vis-à-vis conversations, banter about everything from the frivolous to the deep. Yes, these still take place on zoom but it’s simply not the same as being in the same room as someone else. The fact is, we are humans that never stop longing for something, lockdown or no lockdown - our ever-evolving desires will never fade away. The pandemic has served to draw us back towards our basic human instinct - to survive and avoid catching CO-VID 19.
Perhaps the collective feeling that we are all in this together, is for many, a welcomed respite from FOMO - when we are all sanctioned to our homes there is less to miss out on. Or perhaps we welcome the withdrawal from the individualistic daily hustle to be someone and “make our mark in the world”. Confined to our homes, stripped of the superfluous and focussed on the essential, there’s no need to distinguish ourselves, to draw attention and compare.
Our basic need becomes food, water and shelter - the first few weeks has shown how quickly our human instinct kicks in when an unannounced deadly virus arrives on the scene. But as we are now experiencing, when the viral pandemic becomes more controlled and risks minimised - we start to turn our attention elsewhere. According to “Maslow Hierarchy of Needs”, secured of our basic needs - our new baseline for survival becomes the next rung; we look to get back on the dating scene; to find the partner of our dreams; we seek out our next career manoeuvre; we aim for 200 more followers on Instagram.
Our moving goal post shows we are hope-based humans.
We are continually moving along a spectrum of desires - an excellent education, a flourishing career, the perfect spouse, a granite kitchen top in our Pinterest home, well-behaved children. As the cyclical pattern begins again - we want the same for our children. We have endless desires that realistically won’t be fully met in our lifetime. None of these things are wrong, we were created with an impetus to build families, homes and careers. This pandemic is frustrating because it has become a glaring obstacle, an invasion of our plans.
We are fundamentally creatures with intrinsic desires that propel us to the next thing. Most of us are already daydreaming about what post-lockdown life will look like. But the landscape will not look the same for everyone. Economically, businesses unable to remain financially viable will perish and jobs will go. Until we find a vaccine, people will face severe health challenges and we will lose loved ones. Lockdown may have perhaps spurred you to re-evaluate your direction and question whether you’re building the right career or are in the right relationship.
Sooner or later, we face a time when our dreams don’t feel like they are coming to fruition, we face disappointment from our relationships, work and health. Disappointments are a direct confrontation of our broken world as we try to reconcile our ever-increasing hopes and desire versus the limitation of an imperfect word. This doesn’t mean we should give up, our desires reveal to us a greater vision of the good life, as CS Lewis summarise so well:
“Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: we, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” [1]
We sense something other-worldly because we were wired by our maker to want to live forever. He has placed “eternity in the hearts of men so that we will seek him” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). On a conscious or subconscious level, we desire to be eternal – to make our mark in the world after we’re gone by chasing after things through recognition. Think about it, every endeavour we chase is a pursuit to be remembered forever, we try to do this by living on through our family or through our work. We’re summoned to do this because we think there is one life, as the current truism goes; we are implored to “to live our best life” now.
As the past few weeks have shown us, death doesn’t discriminate – rich or poor, famous or not – we are all subject to death. When the late Apple founder Steve Jobs faced mortality, he was able to distil this gnawing feeling we have to “be eternal”:
“It’s strange to think that you accumulate all this experience, and maybe a little wisdom, and it just goes away. So I really want to believe that something survives, that maybe your consciousness endures.” [2]
Jobs understood something about the coldness of death. Former first lady, Michelle Obama describes the sudden death of a close friend in a similar way, she says how death was “perverse, how the world just carried on”[3]. I believe Michelle Obama is spot on: death is perverse and unnatural, deep down we want to believe that we’re not some stat on a bell curve; that death is not an on-off switch and we’re gone.
Death is unnatural because God created us for something more. God has placed eternity in our hearts because an eternity exists. Jesus says “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25).
Our Hope is not wishful thinking but a confident assurance in the only person in history to have raised himself from the dead, the only one that holds the keys to death and can give us true eternity.
By Ann Ajet
Ann is a major foodie and likes to explore street food markets with her husband and daughter. She also likes writing about deep stuff at Bread.
[1] Mere Christianity by CS Lewis
[2] Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
[3] Becoming by Michelle Obama
Redeemer reads Galatians 2
This morning as we read Galatians 2 together Naomi encourages us to focus on Jesus and our faith in him, rather than our own works…
Welcome! Over the next week we will be reading through the book of Galatians together as a church! We’ll be reading a chapter each week day, beginning on Friday the 15th of May, and concluding on Friday the 22nd. We’re following the reading plan in the CBR Journal, which can also be found HERE.
Each day a member of the Redeemer family will be sharing with us some thoughts in video form, which can be seen above, previous days videos can be found on our Youtube channel. We’ll also be publishing blogs with more thoughts on the passages we’ve read, along with some ideas for those who want to study the passage further. We’re really looking forward to seeing God bear fruit in and through us as a church as we read his word, even during this challenging time.
Today Naomi will be sharing with us her thoughts on Galatians 2 in the video above.
On Friday Noble helped us to focus on Paul’s opening point in his letter to the Galatians - the fact that the gospel is so important because it hasn’t come from any man, but from God himself! There has clearly been some false teaching going on and we hear about it again today in verse 4 - This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.
Today we read as Paul goes deeper into the gospel, and establishes just how it opposes these false teachings we’ve been hearing about. This is the cornerstone of Galatians, and it’s a fantastic passage!
One thing that I am challenged by in this passage is the actions of Peter, because it reminds me how important it is to understand the radical nature of God’s grace! It can be so easy as Christians to fall into the trap of thinking that Gods acceptance of us is dependent on our level of effort or achievement. When we truly understand grace we know that our ability to come before God is totally a work of Jesus, and not at all down to us! We are justified because we are IN Christ! We can never be more accepted by God than we are right now. This is a great encouragement for me, and I hope it is for you too, whatever kind of weekend you’ve had. Know that you can come before God right now and be met with his amazing grace!
Finally, as Naomi has highlighted in her video above, this passage is one that reminds me of God’s love! It is quite easy to imagine a God who loves those who follow him in a general, one size fits all kind of way, but the moment that the love of God really transforms you is when you realise it’s a personal love. At the end of this chapter Paul reveals this incredible truth in verse 20, which I hope brings you great joy as you start your week today.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
Redeemer reads Galatians 1
This morning we’re starting the book of Galatians together, and Noble helps us to focus on the authenticity of the true gospel, challenging us not to get distracted by the world around us.
Welcome! Over the next week we will be reading through the book of Galatians together as a church! We’ll be reading a chapter each week day, beginning on Friday the 15th of May, and concluding on Friday the 22nd. We’re following the reading plan in the CBR Journal, which can also be found HERE.
Each day a member of the Redeemer family will be sharing with us some thoughts in video form, which can be seen above, previous days videos can be found on our Youtube channel. We’ll also be publishing blogs with more thoughts on the passages we’ve read, along with some ideas for those who want to study the passage further. We’re really looking forward to seeing God bear fruit in and through us as a church as we read his word, even during this challenging time.
Today Noble will be sharing with us his thoughts on Galatians 1 in the video above.
Paul isn’t always nice! At the very beginning of his letter, once we’ve read the initial introductions, we see Paul get straight down to the nitty gritty, and focus in on just where the Galatian church has got it wrong! They have been accepting the teachings of people which are disputing the truth of the gospel, so Paul can’t afford to be nice! He must get them off this course they have set for themselves as quickly as possible! Throughout this first chapter we are taught of the importance of reading and understanding the true gospel, which is encouraging for us reading now, as (I assume anyway) the fact you are reading this means you have taken the first step in learning the truth of the gospel, which is reading God’s word!
The language that Paul uses is blunt because it is of such importance, if we are convinced to pursue a man made version of the gospel rather than the truth, it can have devastating effects for our lives now, and for our eternal future. The only true gospel is that which we read in the Bible, that taught to us by Jesus Christ himself. This is incredible truth, that the words we have read this morning, and the words we will be reading over the next week together, are words which carry the power of God! How amazing that is!
When we discover the story of Jesus, the one who gave himself for us, we are invited into his family, we share in the hope that comes from being a child of God! In the same instant, as we accept that invitation, we are able to move out of the hopelessness of a life defined by our present circumstance. There is no human message that could ever achieve such an incredible miraculous transformation for us, which is why it’s great news that we’ll be able to discover even more of the gospel story together over the next week, I can’t wait!
Justin Wainscott is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Jackson, Tennessee and in his talk from February 2017 he further explores this topic from Galatians 1:10-24 in a message entitled - Not Man’s Gospel
“God turned a self-righteous Pharisee into one who would call himself the least of the apostles and the chief of sinners. . . . A man-made gospel will not do that.”
Redeemer reads 2 Corinthians 13
In our final day reading 2 Corinthians together, JC helps us to be thankful for the book, and we read of the way that the gospel should transform our relationships within the church!
Welcome! Today we finish reading 2 Corinthians together as a church! We’re encouraging everyone to read the passage, pray, and share with a few others what they felt God was pointing out to them in his word. Every day we’re going to be hearing from someone at Redeemer about what they felt God pointed out to them as they read the passage.
This morning JC is sharing with us, you can watch her video above. Read on to hear some more thoughts on the passage, and to get some ideas for further study.
Also, if you’re sad that this season of reading the bible together is over, then keep your eyes peeled for a special announcement later today!
It’s been amazing to read 2 Corinthians together over the last few weeks, I hope that these blogs and videos have really helped you to hear God’s voice and be encouraged and challenged by what he might be saying to you at this time! I know that for myself this has been a book of both reassurance in the sovereignty of God, but also a challenge as to how I am living out my faith right now, especially in the light of current circumstances.
Paul finishes this letter by giving off a similar vibe! He both emphasises that Christ has set the perfect example of strength in weakness by dying on the cross for us (verses 4-5), and also he calls on the church in Corinth to make sure that their faith is genuine and displayed in tangible ways!
In this chapter Paul’s words can seem harsh, especially in verse 2 when he says he will “not spare" those who oppose him! But in reality, it is not through harshness that Paul uses these words, instead it is clear that he cares for each one of them, that he won’t risk a single one of them slipping away from the truth of the gospel by failing to discipline them, even if that is a painful process!
Paul again in this passage refers to his own weakness, on two occasions, in verses 4 & 9. He just cannot get away from this main theme of the letter! But in this chapter he also encourages us that in our weakness we are made to be like Jesus Christ, who is alive today by God’s power! How transformative it would be for our lives if every time we experienced a reminder of our own weakness, we chose to celebrate the fact that we are alive today by the power of God, and that in our weakness we are reflecting more of Jesus to others!
Finally Paul finishes his letter with an inspiring picture of what church life should look like, and one which is a challenge to us today just as much as it was to the Corinthian church! I am lucky enough to be able to say that as part of the Redeemer family I feel I am part of a church which reflects Paul’s vision for the church in verse 11. But the reason that we are able to get close to this picture, is not because of our own strength, but because of the power of the gospel! As we experience the peace which comes from knowing Jesus and his victory, we are able to bring peace to others around us! One theme which runs through the entire New Testament is that our relationship with God should transform our relationships with one another. We are brought full circle at the end of chapter 13 as we are reminded of that verse that we read 2 weeks ago in chapter 1 - called to be those who “comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Cor 1:4
Again, I hope you have been blessed by these blogs and videos over the last few weeks, I would encourage you to go back over the book again soon if you can, as there will be many ways in which God will continue to speak through his word! For now though, I leave you with the final verse in the book…
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
2 Corinthians 13:14
Further Study
You may indeed be a passionate, fully devoted follower of Jesus. Or, you may be just a fan who admires Jesus but isn’t ready to let him cramp your style. Then again, maybe you’re not into Jesus.
Not a Fan is a book written by Kyle Idleman, a teaching pastor at Southeast Christian Church, in Louisville Kentucky, one of the largest churches in America. The book calls you to consider the demands and rewards of being a true disciple. With frankness sprinkled with humour, Idleman invites you to live the way Jesus lived, love the way he loved, pray the way he prayed, and never give up living for the One who gave his all for you.
Redeemer reads 2 Corinthians 12
As we read 2 Corinthians 12 together this morning, Jonathan helps us to see that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.
Welcome! Over the week we are going to be reading 2 Corinthians together as a church, 1 chapter every week day. We’re encouraging everyone to read the passage, pray, and share with a few others what they felt God was pointing out to them in his word. Every day we’re going to be hearing from someone at Redeemer about what they felt God pointed out to them as they read the passage.
This morning Jonathan is sharing with us, you can watch his video above. Read on to hear some more thoughts on the passage, and to get some ideas for further study.
Back at the beginning of this series, in the introduction to 2 Corinthians, we heard two verses that were a key to the whole book, and we arrive at them in todays reading.
But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
When I am weak, then I am strong. This concept is the key theme which brings this whole book together. When we are shown to be powerLESS, God is revealed to be powerFULL, and in our inadequacy the wonder of his grace is revealed. This is a life defining truth which it is essential for all of us to grab hold of, especially in these challenging times.
To begin the passage Paul describes a vision he has had of heaven, a brief glimpse of the glory of things to come! What an incredible experience! It seems that the experience was so incredible, so clearly outside of anything earthly that it seemed as if Paul was observing it happening to someone else, hence the way he talks of himself in the third person in verses 2-4. What joy we have as believers knowing that we can look forward to having an eternal experience of somewhere as glorious as that!
Paul also talks of the thorn in his flesh, emphasising that it has been given to him to ‘keep him from becoming conceited’. Despite the fact that this seems to be something that Satan has given to Paul, he is certain that God is using it to bring humility. Paul also clearly believes that God can do something about it, as it is to God that Paul pleads for it to be taken away. God’s power is greater than any other power, and he can use anything to help us grow. It is so important for us in this time that we recognise God’s power to use any situation for his goodness.
Most of all, if we are to take anything away from this chapter, even from this book, it is this - when we are weak, God is strong. That is a truth we all need to focus on today.
Further Study
Jenny Salt is a former nurse and flight attendant who is now a lecturer in pastoral care and preaching at Sydney Missionary Bible College. She has spoken at many Christian events worldwide, including the 2012 Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference where she spoke on 2 Corinthians 12. You can watch the video of her talk below.
Redeemer reads 2 Corinthians 11
This morning Rachel helps us to understand how God is jealous for us, as we read 2 Corinthians 11 together
Welcome! Over the week we are going to be reading 2 Corinthians together as a church, 1 chapter every week day. We’re encouraging everyone to read the passage, pray, and share with a few others what they felt God was pointing out to them in his word. Every day we’re going to be hearing from someone at Redeemer about what they felt God pointed out to them as they read the passage.
This morning Rachel is sharing with us, you can watch her video above. Read on to hear some more thoughts on the passage, and to get some ideas for further study.
In todays passage, we see links to two other aspects of the biblical story.
Firstly, Paul begins the chapter by taking all the way back to the events in the Garden of Eden and the foundation of humanity, reminding us of the story of Adam and Eve, and how sin came into the world. Throughout the bible we hear of the way in which humanity was separated from God by this act, and brought under the authority of sin. But we also know that we are no longer represented by Adam, but instead by Christ! What good news! It is important in these troubling times to focus on this truth, to stand firm against the sin into which the Corinthians had slipped - as we so often do - and know that one day we will live forever as the bride of Christ, in “full and perfect devotion to him”
Paul also links this passage to the rest of the biblical story by using the metaphor of marriage. He refers to the moment when he first preached the gospel to them as being like a wedding day, describing himself as being like a father, presenting the Corinthian church as the bride of Christ (verse 2). In this Paul reminds us that the blessing of earthly marriage is a signpost to the greater blessing that is entering into relationship with God through salvation. Marriage is not just a random earthly construct, but a way of showing what it looks like for a sinner to return to God. We also know that in Revelation, the second coming of Christ is described as being like a wedding day. So in this time, whether we are married or single, whether our experience of marriage has been made tougher by our current circumstance, we are to be reminded that as we look at marriage we are to be pointed to the incredible truth, that the love of God is so vast that it flows out to each and every one of us, and invites us into a covenant and everlasting relationship with him.
#RedeemerRecommends - The Singlehood Sessions
This week #RedeemerRecommends - The Singlehood Sessions! A vlog which was started this week by Pamela, who is part of our Redeemer family! Check it out!
This week #RedeemerRecommends a series on YouTube from a member of the Redeemer family - Pamela Masha.
Some of you will know our friend Pamela (you can see her recent blog for Redeemer here), she regularly posts videos and vlogs on her YouTube channel ‘Wokemanity & Me’ to encourage and challenge us.
And she’s just started a new series on singleness.
You can catch up with The Singlehood Sessions here!
In part 1 Pamela addresses the perceived shame, woes and taboos attached to being single and 30+. And whether you are married or single this is something we recommend you hear.
Please subscribe and have a listen.
If you’d like to hear more about what scripture has to say on the subject of singleness and marriage, we also recommend delving into the back catalogue of Sunday talks (you can have a rummage here). In August Rich spoke about what Proverbs has to say on the subject.
Thank you, Pamela and thank you Rich.
Redeemer reads 2 Corinthians 10
This morning as we continue to read 2 Corinthians together, Mark encourages us to begin the week by fixing our eyes on God, and choosing to boast in who he is and what he has done!
Welcome! Over the week we are going to be reading 2 Corinthians together as a church, 1 chapter every week day. We’re encouraging everyone to read the passage, pray, and share with a few others what they felt God was pointing out to them in his word. Every day we’re going to be hearing from someone at Redeemer about what they felt God pointed out to them as they read the passage.
This morning Mark is sharing with us, you can watch his video above. Read on to hear some more thoughts on the passage, and to get some ideas for further study.
What's the beautiful thing that is replaced or ruined by pride? What does God love so much that he must hate pride with all his might? The answer is plain from all these texts.
He loves the heart that boasts in the Lord.
He loves the heart that gives him credit for what he alone can do.
He loves the heart that relies on his power.
He loves the heart that wants him to get the glory in all things and that wants the power of his Son to shine in our weakness.
And if you have caught on to the essence of Christian Hedonism, you will know that when God delights in this, he delights in the deepest, most satisfying human experience possible. Because:
We were made to boast in God.
We were made to give him credit for all good.
We were made to rely on his power.
We were made to magnify his glory and his all sufficiency in our weakness.
This is the source of all ultimate joy and satisfaction. If God were to delight in anything less than our boasting in him, he would be an idolater and he would be a killjoy. Pride diverts our capacity for exultation from the galaxies of God's glory to the gutters of our puny achievements. It is a decorated dead end street.
Therefore, God hates pride. And we should hate in ourselves what God hates in us, and wield the sword of the Spirit as best we can to slay this dragon in our souls.
Redeemer reads 2 Corinthians 9
In 2 Corinthians 9 we continue to read about what real generosity looks like, in today’s video Vince challenges us as to how we can be generous today.
Welcome! Over the next few weeks we are going to be reading 2 Corinthians together as a church, 1 chapter every week day. We’re encouraging everyone to read the passage, pray, and share with a few others what they felt God was pointing out to them in his word. Every day we’re going to be hearing from someone at Redeemer about what they felt God pointed out to them as they read the passage.
This morning Vince is sharing with us, you can watch his video above. Read on to hear some more thoughts on the passage, and to get some ideas for further study.
This morning as we read 2 Corinthians 9 we continue to hear about the source of genuine generosity, which is the grace that we have been shown by God through his son Jesus.
In the first 5 verses of Chapter 9 we get a glimpse into Paul’s strategy for motivating the Corinthian church to be generous givers. He uses their readiness and eagerness as a central theme, the fact that they have prepared themselves to give way in advance of the gift needing to be given. There is a valuable lesson that we can learn here, that in order to give generously, we need to prepare ourselves to be able to give generously! It is no use consistently finding ourselves with opportunities to be generous, but having nothing to give, we must be preparing ourselves so that when God stirs us to be generous, we have the means to do so. What could you do today to make yourself ready, so that you can be generous at the next opportunity?
Verse 6 is a challenging one, as it lets us know that those who are generous are those who are often the recipients of generosity (be that from others or from God). It also brings to mind Jesus’ words in John 12:24 - Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. - We see this in nature and throughout scripture, that in order to grow, we must sacrifice something. It is not that Paul is saying that to get rich all we need to do is give away all of our money, but instead that as we give generously, we provide ourselves with more opportunities to grow. This may be that giving causes us to be humble, it may be that it means we give our time and learn to find joy in the success of others, it may be that we give our knowledge and see it passed on to others and transform situations. Whatever it looks like, as we plant more seeds in the soil of God’s great plan for our lives we can expect the fruit to be exciting and bountiful!
And let’s not forget the main theme running through 2 Corinthians 8-9, which Paul reminds us of in verse 8.
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
The source of our good works, the reason that we are able to be generous, and to see that generosity bear fruit, is because we have been so blessed by God. The ESV translation uses the phrase - And God is able to make all grace abound to you… - which wonderfully sums up the fact that anything we do as Christians today is in light of the grace we receive daily as we come before our heavenly Father. He is the source of all our good works.
And that’s how Paul finishes the chapter in verses 14-15. As we seek to follow God today, as we read his word and are stirred to be generous with our money, our time, our resources, we are reminded of the only reason that we are all here this morning.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Have a blessed weekend, and see you on Monday.
Redeemer reads 2 Corinthians 8
As we read 2 Corinthians 8 together today we get to a passage where Paul talks about giving, Chris helps us to see how we can be encouraged by the generosity of the early church to give generously ourselves.
Welcome! Over the next few weeks we are going to be reading 2 Corinthians together as a church, 1 chapter every week day. We’re encouraging everyone to read the passage, pray, and share with a few others what they felt God was pointing out to them in his word. Every day we’re going to be hearing from someone at Redeemer about what they felt God pointed out to them as they read the passage.
This morning Chris is sharing with us, you can watch his video above. Read on to hear some more thoughts on the passage, and to get some ideas for further study.
In 2 Corinthians 8 we see Paul encouraging the believers in Corinth to contribute financially to those in the church in Jerusalem (verses 10-11). But he is not just encouraging them to do this out of duty, but in response to the gospel, and the grace that has been shown to them.
We can be encouraged by the actions of the church in Macedonia, that we read about in the opening verses of the chapter. They have clearly understood the grace of God as not just something that they themselves have received, but as something which motivates them to action, and to generosity towards others. How inspiring this is during this time! That even though we face affliction, we are called to respond to the grace of God in our lives by being generous to others!
Also notice what Paul says in verse 8 - I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. We are not to read this passage and feel guilt driven, or that we must give in order to earn God’s favour, but instead we are to give as our hearts are genuinely stirred by the gospel. Paul is also reminding us that there is clearly a powerful witness given to others when we are seen to be generous with that which we have been blessed. As Chris says in the above video, we are never more like God than when we give.
Finally, one of my favourite verses in this passage is verse 9 - For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
What an incredible picture of the gospel! Paul here is hammering home the point that God has been more generous to us than we could ever be, how could we not choose to respond by pouring ourselves out for others, as Jesus blood was poured out for us.
There is so much incredible truth in this passage, that the above comments only cover the first 9 verses! I would encourage you to read the chapter today - maybe multiple times - and as Chris has challenged us, ask the question - What is keeping me from giving consistently and generously?