Today in the Word for March 9-13
Today in The Word
Monday Mar 9, 2020
Do we know what The Church is? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Paul explains what the Church really is in Ephesians 2:19-22:
“…you are…members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”
The Church is not the buildings Christians walk into on Sunday morning. Those buildings are churches but they are not the Church. Paul explains that we are the House of God. The true Church is built on the solid and square cornerstone of Jesus Christ. And the rest of the foundation of the Church is built on the foundation of the ‘apostles and prophets’. Old Testament scripture is written by the prophets and the New Testament is written by the apostles. So, what Paul was saying is that the Church is built on the foundation of the Word of God as found in the Bible. It is the work of Jesus on the cross that makes relationship with God possible and it is the Bible that teaches and reveals Truth about God and his plan rescue us.
God’s House is us. God’s House is made up of the people who have put their trust in Jesus as revealed in scripture. That is what the Church is.
And that’s The Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in The Word
Tuesday Mar 10, 2020
What is the Church and how do we fit in? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Paul explains the Church in Ephesians 2:21-22:
“…Jesus himself [is] the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
People are the Temple of God. We are the ‘structure’ of God’s House. How do very different people fit together? Jesus himself provides the connectors that join us together. His work in our life and his life in us joins us together. And this building always has an ‘Under Construction’ sign up. We are ‘being built together to become’ the Church. The Church is never perfect, because we are never quite done being built. But the Church has a huge advantage over other groupings of people. God dwells in us by His Spirit. We are not doing this Church thing on our own. Jesus is the one that joins us together, and it is God living in us by the Holy Spirit.
That is why the Church can be a Light on a hill. We are the House of God Himself.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Wednesday Mar 11, 2020
We have all probably heard someone say ‘God is our Rock.’ What does the Bible tell us that means? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Near the end of his life, King David sings a song to God. He states in II Samuel 22:2-3:
“…The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior…”
King David is expressing the most common meaning of God as our Rock. This appears many times in the Psalms, and other passages of scripture as well. God is like the fortress cut out of the side of a mountain. He can protect us from attack by the Enemy. He is like a stone-walled castle on a cliff. We can seek protection from attack in many different ways, but the best defense is to put our trust in God. He can shelter us in ways no other stronghold can. David knew what it was like to be outnumbered and outgunned. He did not trust his safety to a military solution, or an economic solution, or a political solution. He put his trust in God. God was his Rock.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly. Listen for more meanings of God as our Rock in the days ahead.
Today in the Word
Thursday Mar 12, 2020
Yesterday we learned that ‘God is our Rock’ meant he is our fortress and refuge in times of attack. Is there more to this image of God as our Rock? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. In the same chapter, II Samuel 22:31-32 records David singing:
“…his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord: And who is the Rock except our God?”
He is speaking of God as a Rock, but talks about God being perfect and flawless. The same image is found in Moses’ last song in Deuteronomy 32:3-4:
“…praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”
Both passages are speaking of the unchanging character of God. He does not run hot and cold with us. He is solid—like a rock. We can count on him to be consistent—consistently good. Our lives are littered with people that are fair-weather friends at best, but God can be depended on. He is a faithful friend. He is a Rock.
And that is the Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Friday Mar 13, 2020
What does it mean to call God ‘The Rock?’ Welcome to The Word with Pastor David, and I am not referring to the actor Dwayne Johnson. In Moses’ last song in Deuteronomy 32:31, 36-39 Moses is speaking of the religions of the people who live near Israel:
“For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede…The Lord will… relent concerning his servants when he sees their strength is gone…He will say: “Now where are their gods, the rock they took refuge in, the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices…Let them rise up to help you! Let them give you shelter! See now that myself am he! There is no god besides me…no one can deliver out of my hand.”
Israel had been worshiping other gods, but The Lord challenges their new gods to deliver them. Trusting in them is to trust a ‘small r rock’, whereas he is a ‘capital R Rock.’ They are pebbles and he is a boulder. God says he is the real deal, and they are small potatoes.
Do you want to lean on a generic rock, or do you want to lean on the One Rock? He has the power to save us.
And that’s the Word. You can enjoy more of the Word this Sunday at 10:45 at Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.