Tag: Cephas

A Church United

1 Corinthians 1:8-25

The moment you begin to put your faith and trust in a man or woman, is the very moment you will begin to have divisions among you: You, meaning, the church. The faith of those who are the church, should be directed toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and the faithful God who made it possible for mankind to enjoy the privilege of fellowshipping with His Son. Unity among believers is where the foundation of their influence resides. When all members of the body of Christ speak the same thing, and operate in their function wholeheartedly, there will be no room for division or discord to take up space.

The church at Corinth had found themselves in contention among the members, thus causing the apostle Paul to reach out to them with strong words of correction and restoration. Paul heard how the church had become divided concerning whom they supposedly joined allegiance to. Some claimed to be of Paul and Apollos, while others took sides with Peter and Christ. I’m uncertain how these people allowed themselves to fall into such an ignorant state, but the Corinthians were known for jumping from fad to fad, so they were undoubtedly influenced by some unhealthy social thing going on during their era.

The apostle Paul wisely distinguished himself from Christ, then proceeded to educate the confused church on the importance of the Gospel, and Christ crucified. When you find yourself among those who give more relevance to a man than God, pray for them, then ask God to open their eyes to see that only through Him, can their lives have meaning, purpose, and reach its full potential. Man can only do so much for you, but God can take your life and make it worthwhile, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Bring Them In

John 1:37-42

Of all the disciples who followed after Jesus, none were more recognized than Simon Peter. Upon meeting Jesus for the first time, Peter was instantly given the name, Cephas or a stone. In other words, Jesus was actually able to judge a man at first sight, and saw that Peter was strong, firm, and not easily swayed from what he set his mind to. Peter did many great things for the cause of Christ, and a great many people were saved because of his obedience to the will of God. All that Peter did for God’s kingdom was counted as worthy in the eyes of the Father, but what if his brother Andrew never left from following John the Baptist, sought to find him, and brought him to meet Jesus? Andrew could have easily stayed with John or Jesus, and learned from their teaching, but it’s hard for anyone to have an experience with the Son of God, and not run to tell others about it. There’s a song that has the words, “Said I wasn’t gonna tell nobody but I… Couldn’t keep it to myself, what the Lord has done for me.” Reading the words of Scripture are always fascinating, but can you imagine hearing those same words coming from the mouth of the Son of God? Andrew knew, bringing his brother to Jesus would be a great thing, and he was right!

One of the mandates of the Christian is, to go out and make disciples. In the book of Matthew, Jesus said it this way, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” In the books of the Ephesians, the apostle Paul summarizes that God’s purpose is to bring everything into subjection to Jesus Christ through the church. He says that the church is the vehicle the Father wishes to use to subject all things to the Son. Andrew was wise in sharing Jesus words with his brother, and the world was never the same because of it.

How many people have you brought to Christ since you’ve been born again? Do you read, study, and meditate on the Word of God, only to keep it all to yourself? Or, do you willfully share God’s goodness with those you meet? I’ve heard a few cool phrases over the years that are relevant to this lesson: “Each One Reach One”, and “Many Hands For Many Hearts”. God wants all of mankind to subject themselves to His Son, but many had unfortunately chosen the unrighteous path, which led to their demise. For those who remain in the earth, there is still hope, and the church should shift their focus from self and amusement, to diligently winning souls for God’s kingdom.