The verses for today (1 Peter 1:3-25), contain some great material. First there is the core verse (v.14) for today: ‘As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.‘ Another couple, are verses 18 to 20: ‘For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.’ And finally, verses 22 and 23: ‘Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers and sisters, love one another deeply , from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.’
Selwyn words in today’s study are fairly direct and blunt – in a sense a form of a ‘wake-up’ call – do you agree?
As his message is very important; I’ll quote large sections of today’s text, as follows: “… we must now ask ourselves this searching question: ‘Who are we, the Church of the twenty first century, in step with? The world around or the world without end?’ Let’s face it, today people cheerfully ignore the Church, repudiate its testimony, and live, so they believe, as good a life as their church-attending neighbours. … Not even the most earnest devotees of the Church (particularly in the West) would claim that the Church is a mighty and effective instrument of God in this world.
Without belittling the many positive things the Church is doing, it remains true that when compared to the Church of the first century it is disunited, enfeebled and in retreat.” These are fairly strong words – do you agree that this is the case?
Selwyn goes on to say: “We must stop trying to be trendy and become more transformative. The Church is not being condemned by the world because it is like Christ; it is being condemned because it is not like Him. When we stop trying to keep in step with the music of the world, and march to the beat of a different drum, we will make a far more powerful impression. Again I say: the greatest challenge of our time is to pick up heaven’s beat – and follow it.”
I entirely agree with Selwyn that the Church, in the West, is disunited, enfeebled and in retreat – we often hear the words; ‘the Church needs to be more relevant to the people in today’s society’, and that’s the type of ‘dry rot’, which has infected the supporting beams of our Church. In my view, reform first starts with prayer after we recognise that reform is urgently needed.
Selwyn’s prayer for today is: “O Father, once again we pray, help us – we who form today’s Christian community – not to conform to the standards of the world, but to march to the beat of heaven’s drum. For that beat, we know, is the right beat. In Jesus’ name we ask it. Amen.”
Picking up the beat
The verses for today (1 Peter 1:3-25), contain some great material. First there is the core verse (v.14) for today: ‘As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.‘ Another couple, are verses 18 to 20: ‘For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.’ And finally, verses 22 and 23: ‘Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers and sisters, love one another deeply , from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.’
Selwyn words in today’s study are fairly direct and blunt – in a sense a form of a ‘wake-up’ call – do you agree?
As his message is very important; I’ll quote large sections of today’s text, as follows: “… we must now ask ourselves this searching question: ‘Who are we, the Church of the twenty first century, in step with? The world around or the world without end?’ Let’s face it, today people cheerfully ignore the Church, repudiate its testimony, and live, so they believe, as good a life as their church-attending neighbours. … Not even the most earnest devotees of the Church (particularly in the West) would claim that the Church is a mighty and effective instrument of God in this world.
Without belittling the many positive things the Church is doing, it remains true that when compared to the Church of the first century it is disunited, enfeebled and in retreat.” These are fairly strong words – do you agree that this is the case?
Selwyn goes on to say: “We must stop trying to be trendy and become more transformative. The Church is not being condemned by the world because it is like Christ; it is being condemned because it is not like Him. When we stop trying to keep in step with the music of the world, and march to the beat of a different drum, we will make a far more powerful impression. Again I say: the greatest challenge of our time is to pick up heaven’s beat – and follow it.”
I entirely agree with Selwyn that the Church, in the West, is disunited, enfeebled and in retreat – we often hear the words; ‘the Church needs to be more relevant to the people in today’s society’, and that’s the type of ‘dry rot’, which has infected the supporting beams of our Church. In my view, reform first starts with prayer after we recognise that reform is urgently needed.
Selwyn’s prayer for today is: “O Father, once again we pray, help us – we who form today’s Christian community – not to conform to the standards of the world, but to march to the beat of heaven’s drum. For that beat, we know, is the right beat. In Jesus’ name we ask it. Amen.”
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