Week #51 | A New and Better Hope

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Hebrews; Titus; 1 Timothy; 1 Peter

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Jesus Is Greater (Hebrews). Although I find it odd for Steinmann's chronological plan to place the letter to the Hebrews before the end of Paul's life, I am still happy to read through Hebrews any chance I get. The entire theme of the book is that Jesus is Greater. Jesus is greater than the angels (Hebrews 1-2). He is greater than Moses (Hebrews 3) and Joshua (Hebrews 4). He is a greater High Priest (Hebrews 5-7). He brings us a greater covenant (Hebrews 8). He is greater than all of the Temple worship of the Old Covenant (Hebrews 9). He is a greater sacrifice (Hebrews 10). He is the greater, perfect foundation for our ultimate example (Hebrews 11-12). And he is the great unchanging Lord in whom we find our rest, and to whom we direct our sincere worship (Hebrews 13).

Letter to a Church Revitalizer (Titus and 1 Timothy). Paul's letter to Titus was not to a church planter--the congregation at Crete had already been in existence for some time. But the church was in need of revitalization. So Paul sent Titus there to raise up leaders, to equip the church to be a witness to the surrounding community, to instruct the believers there, and to help bring it into cooperation with the wider mission of the surrounding churches. Timothy, though he got a tough time from his congregation for his youth, also received a similar charge in the letter of 1 Timothy. Each of these letters is surprisingly rich and worthy of careful reading, not just by those who are interested in church leadership but by all Christians. These letters together might constitute what we would call God's Blueprint for a Healthy Church. These are the first letters that we go to when we try to understand: what is the church supposed to do? How should it be organized? What is God's intention for us as a community that bears his name?

The Gospel-Driven Life (1 Peter). The thing I love about Peter's first letter is that everything flows out of the truth of the Gospel. No sooner is Peter done marveling at what Jesus has done for us, than he immediately reflects on how this should be reflected in our lives. When he's done reflecting on the practical applications, he moves back to how the applications move us right back to the heart of the Gospel. Then back to transformation. Then to the Gospel. Over and over. What Jesus has done is transformational. And we are transformed because of what Jesus has done. The Gospel does not leave us the same; it invites us into The Gospel-Driven Life.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? I won't lay out exact responses in this space because the possibilities are often endless. But it is worth it to think about application in the categories of worship, attitude, and actions. Does this reading direct me to God in worship and thanksgiving and praise, or does it direct me towards a change that I need to make here and now? If it's about a change that I need to make, is this something inward in my attitude, or outward in my actions? This helps to rescue application from just being a series of how-to tips, or one-size-fits-all instructions that go beyond what the Bible actually states. Sometimes, the most helpful application we can make is to get a different perspective on what's the most important thing, or about how we should respond inwardly to the things going on around us.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean