SDCCM Blog

Hebrews 12:2 – Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
A simple definition of shame is – a painful feeling of having lost respect of others and of oneself because of improper behavior, failure not to meet the expectation of another, and not living up to your own expectation of yourself.

Many Bible figures had to overcome shame. Abram felt shame not having a child for whom he could leave an inheritance. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning “father of many.” God not only gave him a child, He multiplied his seed so His posterity was like the sand of the sea. Jacob was shamed because he deceived his father into thinking that he was Esau, his older brother, from whom he stole the birthright. Later, God changed Jacob’s name, which meant “deceiver” to Israel, meaning “Prince with God.” Joseph was shamed by his brothers who sold him into slavery. In Egypt, God raised him up to serve Pharaoh and save the nation in a time of famine. Some others I could write about would be Moses – shamed from Egypt and shame that he was inarticulate. Saul felt shame because of his persecution of the church and Timothy because of his age. Then there is Peter, who denied his Lord three times.

People do shameful things because they live from a shame base in their life experience. They are acting out what they believe about themselves. Many see themselves as a failure, evil, rejected, ugly, unworthy of love, and a host of other things.

Jesus broke the shame barrier once and for all in life and death. He gave us power in our life to rule over shame. He has empowered us to receive His forgiveness and acceptance. He wants to equip us so we too might help others break off shame from their lives. The Lord’s call for each of His children is to break shame’s power and be free to serve in humility. READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE

2 Timothy 3:10-11 – Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings.
It is hard to know if the teaching gift is separate from the pastoral gift. apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors are clearly separate. The apostolic and pastoral ministries have teaching as a major component of their gift. The apostles laid the foundation of what was to be taught. I call this “structuring doctrine.” The elders of the New Testament churches taught what the apostles set as proper doctrine. Teaching the things of the Spirit is definitely a gift given to the body of Christ. Biblical teaching is not rooted in academics in the sense of man’s views. It is rooted in “revelation,” or what God reveals.

Paul tells Timothy that any man who “aspires” to the office of overseer,” among other things, must be able to teach (1Timothy 3: 1-7). As stated in our scripture for today, Timothy followed Paul’s teaching. Paul’s teaching was more than words. His teaching was also found in his conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings. Teaching should reflect a manner of living, not just information.

Teaching is a “fatherly function.” Solomon gives instruction to his son when he says, “My son, do not forget my teaching” (Proverbs 3:1). We can assume that Solomon was taught by his father, King David. Not only do the scriptures speak of natural fathering, but spiritual fathering as well. “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight” (1Timothy 1:18). Fathers teach their children. The real teachings come through the models that fathers and mothers set for their children. I believe that one of the weak points in church life is that the majority of teaching is simply informational rather than example. READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE

1 Peter 5:2 – Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God.
The English word for “pastor” is only found in the Ephesians 4:11. In the Greek it is found many times. A number of different Greek words are used in the New Testament with slightly different meanings. Words such as shepherd, overseer, elder, and bishop are found there. They all speak of pastoring the flock of God. Throughout history these words have been treated as separate ministries, but that is a wrong understanding and application. They all speak of the “care of God’s people.” In our devotional, I will use the word shepherd because the word is used in our verse for today.

The shepherd is a “local” gift. The shepherd has an allotment of God’s people for which he is responsible. The shepherd knows the people and their individual needs. The shepherd is to relate with other shepherds in the locality so that there is a healthy overall care for the body of Christ. Biblically speaking, shepherds are first recognized by the people for whom they are caring. An apostolic function is to recognize the shepherds and set them into their place before the people. This is clearly seen throughout Paul’s writings. READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE

2 Timothy 4:5 – Be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
The third ministry gift Paul mentions in Ephesians 4:11 is that of the “evangelist.” Your fingers beautifully illustrate these five gifts which the Lord has placed in His church. The thumb speaks of the apostolic, as it touches all the other gifts. The prophetic is like the pointer finger, pointing the way. The evangelist, like the middle finger, reaches out the farthest. The ring finger illustrates the pastoral role and speaks of covenant relationship. The small finger speaks of the teacher. It is ideal for cleaning the wax out of your ears.

Paul addresses four areas of which he wants Timothy to be aware. He says be “sober in all things.” The message of the gospel is serious. The souls of people are at stake. You can have fun witnessing, but understand you are speaking of the eternal destiny of a soul.

Paul says, “Endure hardship.” Declaring the “gospel of the kingdom of God” will generate various kinds of hardships. Some examples are: financial, inconveniences, time and energy, persecution, mocking, rejection, and for some physical abuse, including death. Along with whatever hardships one might experience comes the joy of conversion. David declares, “Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6). READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE

Ephesians 2:18-22 – Through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

As we give our attention to the five ministry gifts it is important to keep focused on Jesus. Each of the ministry gifts is a manifestation of the ministry of Jesus and does not stand alone on its own merits. Paul reminds us, “through Him we have both access in one Spirit to the Father” (emphasis mine). The Godhead determined for Jesus to build His church upon the apostolic and prophetic ministries. It is through apostolic teaching and prophetic vision God’s will and purpose is communicated. John the apostle declares in the book of Revelation that he “fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy’” (Revelation 19:10).

As with the apostolic gift, the prophetic gift is still needed. Today, the prophetic does not bring new revelation or anything “extra biblical,” but helps to restore the Lord’s church to His original intent. Throughout history, men have distorted the truth of God and have built their own systems. The writers of the New Testament warned God’s people that this would happen. Consider what Peter said in his second letter, READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE

Ephesians 4:11 – He gave some as apostles.
In our next five devotionals, we will look at the Lord’s purpose in these five ministry gifts for the growth and development of the body of Christ. These ministry gifts and their function are important to the maturation of individual believers. The first of the five is the “apostolic gift.” The original apostles are known as “the apostles of the Lamb” (Revelation 21:14). Christ is building His church upon the foundation that the apostles and prophets laid, “Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20).

These men were given to Christ in His earthly ministry by the Father. “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word” (John 17:6). There will never be more apostles known as the “apostles of the Lamb,” since they were given to Jesus in His earthly ministry. It is important to understand that the “apostolic ministry” was meant to continue until the Lord returns. The apostolic ministry today reinforces what the apostles taught. They are used by the Holy Spirit to “equip the saints for the work of service and to build up the body of Christ: until we all attain the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13-14). READ MORE – CLICK TITLE ABOVE