SFJ Bible Reading Plan

Matthew 5

The Sermon on the Mount

5:1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

The Beatitudes

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons¹ of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that² they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother³ will be liable to judgment; whoever insults⁴ his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell⁵ of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.⁶

Lust

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Divorce

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.⁷

Retaliation

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,⁸ let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers,⁹ what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Footnotes

[1] 5:9 Greek huioi; see Preface

[2] 5:16 Or house. 16Let your light so shine before others that

[3] 5:22 Some manuscripts insert without cause

[4] 5:22 Greek says Raca to (a term of abuse)

[5] 5:22 Greek Gehenna; also verses 29, 30

[6] 5:26 Greek kodrantes, Roman copper coin (Latin quadrans) worth about 1/64 of a denarius (which was a day’s wage for a laborer)

[7] 5:37 Or the evil one

[8] 5:40 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin

[9] 5:47 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters

(ESV)

Matthew 4

The Temptation of Jesus

4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,

  “‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

  “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

  “‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

  “‘You shall worship the Lord your God
    and him only shall you serve.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

15   “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
    the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16   the people dwelling in darkness
    have seen a great light,
  and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
    on them a light has dawned.”

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”¹

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”² 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus Ministers to Great Crowds

23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Footnotes

[1] 4:17 Or the kingdom of heaven has come near

[2] 4:19 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women

(ESV)

Matthew 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3:1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”¹ 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

  “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
  ‘Prepare² the way of the Lord;
    make his paths straight.’”

4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,³ and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,⁴ with whom I am well pleased.”

Footnotes

[1] 3:2 Or the kingdom of heaven has come near

[2] 3:3 Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness

[3] 3:16 Some manuscripts omit to him

[4] 3:17 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved

(ESV)

Matthew 2

The Visit of the Wise Men

2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men¹ from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose² and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6   “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
  for from you shall come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

The Flight to Egypt

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Herod Kills the Children

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

18   “A voice was heard in Ramah,
    weeping and loud lamentation,
  Rachel weeping for her children;
    she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

The Return to Nazareth

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Footnotes

[1] 2:1 Greek magi; also verses 7, 16

[2] 2:2 Or in the east; also verse 9

(ESV)

Going Deeper

Love One Another (3-14-15)

Grab your Bible and let’s go deeper into 2 Corinthians 13.

As I studied and read this week, I was especially moved and challenged by Paul’s final greeting in the finish of his second letter to the church in Corinth.  Read it again….

2 Corinthians 13:11-14 “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

The living God elected in his grace to save his people into something very special… into a family!

A family unlike any other family.  In our unity as the family God, he has given us a very special relationship with ONE ANOTHER that he wants us to value dearly, to protect, to invest into and to cultivate!

There are two dozen instructions in the New Testament that we are to “LOVE ONE ANOTHER.”

These are in addition to exhortations to encourage one another, be patient with one another, honor one another, pray for one another, admonish one another, forgive one another, confess to one another and more.

Today, I want to focus on the most encompassing one another: Love one another!

Let’s look at a few passages that teach us about this…

Romans 12:9-10  “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

Here Paul says, let love be genuine.

You can also translate this from the Greek to say- let love be without hypocrisy!

Hypocrisy= pretending to be a certain way that is not true to who you are in the core of your being.

Genuine love doesn’t try to say or be something it’s not. It is authentic. It is genuine.  It is honest.

It says, “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”   In other words, it is not loving to not abhor what is evil.

It is not LOVE to watch someone you love struggling and then, out of fear, stay distant and say nothing.

The danger in this is that you think he or she will figure it out.

You think, “I don’t want to cause conflict” or you are motivated by a self love because you want them to love you, so you don’t upset the apple cart even if it’s about to run them over.

NO, we are to LOVE THEM.   EVEN when it is HARD!     Even when it costs us everything.

This means we as a club are not going to be distant and hypocritical, but we are going to act in genuine love…. that we will sit down with those in our family that are openly practicing sin and say,

I LOVE YOU and I am concerned because what I see you pursuing here I don’t see in God’s word.

Realize none of us are immune from this.  Eventually, we all are going to need to be confronted.

This is life in the body of Christ.. this is LOVE at work in our family.

Look at the next verse.

Romans 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

This is not love one another just with deeds.  It is saying have feelings for each other.

The idea is that our heart would leap a little when we are around each other.  Because we are family!

But the word for “love” or “be devoted” refers to a special kind of love. It’s used only here in the whole New Testament. But it is not a rare word outside the New Testament. It refers to “tender affection, particularly family affection”. So, what the verse is calling for is that Christians have “tender affection toward each other in family love.”

This is a command for how we are to relate to each other in the body of Christ—We are to feel an affection, a tender affection for each other.

In Philippians 1:8 Paul says to the church,

“For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

The word for “affection” is “intestines” or “inner organs.” The idea is: I long for you and love you, not just with an act of will power, but with deep and tender affections. I miss you. I am homesick for you. I feel.

Another point of emphasis in this passage that Paul gives us is something we are told to do five times in the New Testament.   Christians are to “Greet one another with a [holy] kiss of love”

It says this is our text today,

2 Corinthians 13:12  “Greet one another with a holy kiss”

This raises the question whether our cultural norm of a handshake carries what Christ means for us to feel for each other.

What’s culturally not normal is for two grown adults to kiss.   I love seeing a dad kiss his grown son.

Many of you brothers in our club have such a deep respect and brotherly affection for each other that you kiss each other when greeting.   Now in our sin, is there a way to sexualize this? YES.

But it doesn’t have to be that way if done and looked upon in a God honoring way.

For many of us, a mouth kiss is just way more than you are comfortable with.  I get it.

More of us prefer to give a kiss on the cheek.  Fine.

But I will tell you what is very telling about this club is that we all hug.  This is something special.

Something that doesn’t happen in most social circles where grown men fellowship.

In the professional world, Do you hug another grown man when you greet? NO

Do you kiss your doctor on the cheek when you go in for your check up?  NO

But, Do you hug and kiss your family?  YES!

God is saying that in this family, His family, should share a deep love & God honoring affection for each other.

But we hug and kiss because we are a blood bought family of brothers.  We do it because we truly love each other.

Because it is a sign that we are family.   This is even something we do with members of other clubs whom we have befriended.  This is a language of love and respect that exists in the club world that is very unique.  This is surely something that SFJMC should practice with more than tradition. It should be a beacon of the love of God moving through us to those we are called to fight with and fight for.

The point Paul is making at his close of 2 Corinthians is a huge one. He is highlighting that it is the will of God for his children not just to do good things for each other and not just to pray for each other or speak decently of each other—those are crucial and demand the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish-

But God’s will is for more: We are to

“Love each other with brotherly affection.”

“Open your hearts wide to each other.”

“Feel for each other a kind of tender affection and longing that would naturally be expressed in a holy kiss of love.” 

Now, some of you are saying, “What if I don’t feel this tender affection?”

Suppose you hear the command of Jesus this morning: Love the brothers and sisters in our SFJ family with tender affection. Open your heart wide to them. Feel a longing for them and joy in them.

And suppose you can think of several people that you do not feel that way about. They have gossiped about you or snubbed you or let you down. You have beef with them that has not yet been worked out. And you say, “I hear you Lord. And I submit to the rightness of your command, but I do not feel this kind of affection for him/her. My battle is just trying not to hate or my battle is I have never had a family who loved each other this way- this deep!  We hardly even said I love you. But I yield to you LORD. You have right to call me to this. I embrace the goodness & the authority of your call. I want to obey, but I don’t know how to practice this.” 

IF this is you, please know that God can and will give you what you need to overcome this- to forgive and risk and fight for deep and true love for each other.  If this is you, I give you these practical steps to help you grow in this area.

1. Pray for the Spirit’s power.

First, pray earnestly that God, the Holy Spirit would move in power on your heart and work the miracle that neither you nor I can work on our own. We are talking about supernatural living here. Pray that God would change your heart toward his other children—that he would create new affections in you or one another.

2. Focus on the heavenly identity of your sibling.

Second, keep your eyes focused on the heavenly identity not the earthly frustration. We tend to focus almost exclusively on the ways we have been hurt or disappointed. That will defeat us every time.

Pastor John Piper says this well, “There is a greater reality to think about and focus on, but you must make an effort. Focus on the reality of God’s fatherhood. When you think about a Christian that is hard to feel affection for, say, “God is her Father. God is his Father.” When you see her, think, “God is her Father.” Then say, “And God is my Father. We have the same Father. Jesus is her Savior and my Savior. The same blood bought her as bought me. The same Holy Spirit indwells her as indwells me. The same love flows from God toward her that flows toward me. She is my sister. He is my brother. We will live forever in the same family. We will live forever together in joy and ecstasy in the presence of our Father on the new earth.”

3. Remember Christian love is a growing thing.

Third, keep in mind that Christian love is not an all or nothing thing, but a growing thing.

In 2 Thessalonians 1:3 Paul commends the Christians like this,

“Your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater.”

Love is a growing thing. So, you may have some of it and be a real Christian and not have enough of it.

You may feel some affection toward a fellow believer, but also wrestle with other negative emotions. That does not mean you are not a Christian. It means you are at war with the flesh and trying to be led by the Spirit.   Keep on weary soldier and know that God will refine you as you press into him.

Paul prays this very way in:  1 Thessalonians 3:12 “…and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,”

Brothers:  The evidence of our redemption, of our transformation in Christ, is our LOVE.

The love of God will be at work in and through this people.

4. Finally, know that genuine love for one another comes from God.

1 John 4:7-8  “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

But let me ask you today:    Do you really fight for love? 

Do you really long to live every moment in love? Or is “I love you” just something you’re good at saying?

See, our love has to have feet!    It has to be not just said, it has to be felt.

It has to not just be a good idea or lofty ideal.  LOVE has to be real, present, an unavoidable force.

If our club is going to do anything for God’s fame and eternal glory we must be about love!

It simply is not an option.

Listen to 1 Corinthians 13:1-7  “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

Then he goes on to define true love:

“4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Now, the honest truth is:  The description of love that I just read, a true selfless love:

is impossible for you and I to live out without God.  WHY, you might ask?

John says why…

1 John 4:7c “…for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

Skip to 8b  “…God is love!”

What we need to understand more than anything is:   GOD is LOVE!

These verses do not state that God “was love” or “God will be love,”  but

“God is [present tense of Greek word eimi, =I am] love.”    Love is not just from God.. this is too narrow.

If you just read

Matthew 2:7

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.

(ESV)

c and don’t get to 8b you miss the fuller truth that GOD IS LOVE.

Love is not just an action of GOD, love is God’s nature.

One may know something about human affection or love;

but apart from the grace of God,  no one can know anything about TRUE love.

Real love… divine love… is like God, who is holy, just, and perfect.

If You want true LOVE in your life, you need a living relationship with God.

If we truly know God, we will love as he does.  It says here,   to know God is to know Love!

1 John 4:19  “We love because he first loved us.”

The authentic other-centered love of God will only consistently find its way out of us and onto those God puts in life if we are first and foremost centered in Christ.

We only have the ability to LOVE selflessly because Jesus first selflessly loved us!

We only have the desire to Love ONE ANOTHER sacrificially because of God’s grace filled desire to sacrifice his only son for us!

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”  – 2 Corinthians 13:11-14

By His grace and for His glory,

-Shepherd

National Chaplain

Soldiers for Jesus MC