6:33 Recap

This week's 6:33 was focused on 1 Thessalonians 4, How do you live a life that pleases God? Becky Clark wrote our recap this week so let's keep the discussion going, but in case you missed it, you can listen to the audio here.

This 6:33 was a little different because both Ryan Mason and Darrell spoke. Ryan was affirmed as the next president after giving the following vision. As a body of believers, his goal is to see the BCM be more intentional about campus and community missions. Matthew 28:19-20 states “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” But even beyond the basics of the great commission Ryan has connected two very important verses in the New Testament dealing with our love for God and how we show love to those around us. In Matthew 22: 37-38 “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And in John 4:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

If Jesus is the only way to the Father, and we have a calling to love our neighbors, we need to be sharing the life saving gospel of the life and death of Jesus Christ! Everyone has a part to play in this vision. Not only does the BCM offer opportunities to serve, we as a greater body, need to step up to the plate and find ways that we can serve. We also need to be intentional. If we are living out this vision, we can be an encouragement to those around us. We can help find and promote opportunities not only for ourselves but for those around us. And finally, we don’t need to view people as projects to be brought in and converted. But rather we need to intentionally love individuals by living and showing the grace of the Father. Amen!!

After that, we pretty much stepped right in the middle of conversation between Paul and the Thessalonians in Chapter 4. We weren’t there, so we really don’t know what instructions Paul had given them but we do know, that faith is supposed to grow (vs 2). There should be expectancy. This also points us to focus on the future and not make a shrine out of our pasts. While it is good to look back on what God has done, we also need to expect growth.

This quandary about what Paul was talking about is just one of several other BDQs (Big Deal Questions) in the Bible. And we must always view these questions in light of the gospel. Some of them include: What does God require of me? Micah 6:8, What must I do to inherit eternal life? Luke 18:18,22, What is the greatest commandment? Mark 12:28-31.

Now back to the original point of discussion. We can find out generally what Paul spoke about as we read Acts 17: 1-4. “² As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.” He spoke the core of the gospel, and then encouraged them in verses 1-2 to continue to grow with the goal (found in vs 3) of sanctification.

So a quick run through verses 3-10.

Sanctification: This is Gods will for your life. It is a process that only God can do within us but sometimes we can get in the way of this process.

Sexual immorality: Darrell stressed that he could talk about this for a while. We as Christians are to avoid this because it gets in the ways of the sanctification process.

And finally brotherly love, verses 11-12.

So what does all this mean? What does it look like for you to root out the things that keep you from being sanctified?