By Jared Warner
Willow Creek Friends Church
October 25, 2026
Click Here to Join our Meeting for Worship
Matthew 18:1–6 (ESV)
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
The discipline of celebration. We do not often think of celebration as a discipline. Instead we think of it merely as something that happens. But celebration is something that is attached directly with joy. Jesus taught in Mathew 18 when the disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom, he looked out among the people and called to himself a child saying, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
If we were to study these verses, most would say that the point Jesus was trying to make was that children are vulnerable, dependent on their parents, socially marginalized because they do not have their own agency. Others might say that children have a posture of being receptive, they are inclined to receive instead of earning favor. These are all important things that Jesus may be drawing upon. I would even preach a message on each of those things depending on the proper slant of the contemporary moment.
That is the thing with scripture. It says much with little. There are terms that can be applied to it academically, exegesis and eisegesis. One speaks of the drawing meaning out and the other is reading meaning into. If we go to higher educational programs we are taught exegesis. What do the words mean? What is the context? Who was the group of people that first read it and what were they experiencing? Most of the time it is important to focus on exegesis, but there is a place for eisegesis.
I know that most educated people probably just gasped at that statement. But eisegesis is a different form of exploration. Most would say that exegesis explores the scripture to find the meaning and eisegesis seeks to find scripture to defend our meaning. Most would say that exegesis is the higher calling and eisegesis is imposing our own ideas onto scripture. I agree.
I agree greatly. I agree so much that I want to kick myself every time I read scripture because eisegesis is always right there. Why? Because we serve a living God. We worship a God that continues to teach. The Spirit that inspired the writing is the same Spirit that inspires the reading. But we need to be careful, because at times we can be listening to the wrong Spirit. Some times my spirit screams for validation, and the Holy Spirit is trying to teach me something. And it is easy to use scripture to confirm what I want.
When I consider Matthew 18, I do look at the culture. I look at the words but there is something whispering just at the back of my mind, “Why a child?” I can look, I can study, I can investigate the historic sociological status of children in the greater Roman empire, and the micro-sociological subset of Roman Palestine, but often that does not answer my question. I was once a child. I have children. I have grandchildren. So often I will sit in prayer considering the scripture, and contemplating my own life experiences. Prayerful eisegesis is what some might call it. I simply call it a prayerful conversation. And what does this conversation tell me?
Children get excited. For months Albert has been looking forward to this weekend. When our niece Moira graduated from High School we realized that things were going to change. For his entire life Moira and Albert would go out together to celebrate Halloween, when she became a teenager we would host the Halloween party for her friends. But now she is in college, he had to come up with something different, because Moria is not going to be here. So he urged us to do something more with his friends.
This has encouraged me to think about the meaning of what Jesus taught about the kingdom being like a child, and I am just beginning to understand the layers of what Jesus just might have meant. It is the vulnerability, it is the reliance, but it is also the child’s ability to adapt and find a way to experience joy even when everything seems to change around them. Is this exegesis, no, is it eisegesis also no. This is God’s Spirit showing me thing as I attempt to understand scripture. I am using what I know, what I have experienced to help understand what is going on in life.
Children get excited, children make joy.
In Richard Foster’s classic Celebration of Discipline, he writes about celebration his concluding chapter, saying, “Celebration brings joy into life, and joy makes us strong. Scripture tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. We cannot continue long in anything without it.” (pg 191 Celebration of Discipline, Special Anniversary Edition [Kindle]). We cannot continue long in anything without joy.
I want us to think about that statement for a moment. Consider it along side the words of Jesus, “unless you turn and become like a child you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Consider it against the laughter of the children in this meeting. And consider against the silence of a space without children.
We need joy. But how do we find joy?
Foster concludes his book on disciplines with celebration because, “Celebration is central to all the Spiritual Disciplines. Without a joyful spirit of festivity the Disciplines become dull, death-breathing tools in the hands of modern Pharisees. Every Discipline should be characterized by carefree gaiety and a sense of thanksgiving.”
Celebration is central to all Spiritual Disciplines.
I want us for a moment to consider our experiences at church. Is this how we would describe it? When we speak to others about what we believe, often the first words that leave our mouth are, “we don’t…”, and yet do we know why?
Unfortunately our American culture is filled with a lack of celebration. The first colonies that would eventually come together to form our nation, were started by people seeking a fortune, and those seeking the freedom to worship how they wanted. For those that want to keep track, the actual first was the one seeking fortunes. And the second prominent colony was the one founded on religion. But the one founded on religion was one that was very strict. The Puritans were not known for their large parties. We sometimes forget about that since put them in the spotlight during our retelling of the first Thanksgiving, which was essentially a party, at least a feast. But that was not their normal state of being. In most cases they removed many aspects of celebration from life. It was illegal to celebrate Christmas, in New England. And they took that so seriously that anyone found celebrating it could be fined. Just saying that out loud makes me shiver.
It was not until after the civil war that Christmas became a federal holiday. For nearly 200 years in America, that holiday we celebrate the hardest was illegal, and for the past 156 years it is so much a part of our culture that if someone says Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas we want to fight. And yet we forget that in Church history, the time from Halloween to February, all through the winter our calendar is filled with Holidays. The winter is the season of celebration. Have you ever stopped to think about that?
I am giving the Puritans a bad wrap, which they brought on themselves, but Quakers are not much better. In our attempt to revitalize the true authentic church, we rid ourselves of the sacraments and along with that holidays. We did not celebrate any day as better than another because all days were made by the Lord and we should rejoice and be glad in it. We would go so far as not using the regular days of the week or month names because they were worldly, instead we would call today 1st day, the 25th of 10th month, which is not confusing at all. The problem is it becomes difficult to rejoice if we do not have a reason to. And if we do not have a reason, very quickly we slip into something devoid of joy.
This is why Foster calls celebration a discipline.
As you all know Albert plays hockey. Its pretty clears since he is not here today because he is playing hockey. Over the past few years some have questioned the wisdom of a pastor allowing his son to play a game on a Sunday. I am going to tell you a secret. There is a reason I invest all potential disposable income, and all my free time into Albert playing hockey. When Albert straps on his goalie gear something changes in him. Albert is a great kid, do not get me wrong, he is helpful, generous, encouraging and most of the time he does these things without any direct encouragement from me or Kristy. He will do it simply because he knows someone needs it and he does it joyfully. But when he puts on his goalie gear, something changes. He become fierce and powerful, he becomes focused, and he has joy that you can see just barely contained within the cage of his goalie mask. Do I complain sure, but I will pay because when we contribute to the joy of others that joy is multiplied to us.
This is the point of celebration, multiplying joy, transferring joy to those around us within our community. We know that the world is filled with sorrow and suffering. Throughout human history we can read about the sufferings. If we watch TV later at night we will see ads telling us that for the price of your daily coffee you could help a child in need, or provide shelter for some lost and abandoned pet. We experience suffering, it is all around us. It just down the street outside of QuikTrip, its even in the church lawn once the sun goes down as people camp out under the slide. Suffering is part of life. Joy however is something that we struggle to find. One could make a good argument that what was actually lost in the Garden of Eden was joy, because joy is what was found in the garden. Everything was thriving. Everything had a place, a point, a purpose and to fulfill that purpose was to make joy complete or full. And God said after creation that it was very good.
But suffering does occur. By the sweat of your brow the earth with bear fruit. Or there will be increased pain in labor with children. Those curses that were given to our first parents, focus on suffering. But they also speak of life. We suffer and struggle to raise a family, it is not easy. It entered through our first parents and it has touched every culture and life since. Lament is a very real emotion, and a very real discipline also. We need to be able to lament. We need to be able and willing to release those deep seated sorrows that we push back and bury. The shame we try to hide. The illness we do not want to bother people with. We need to release them into the air. This does not sound too celebratory. But if we were to read through the psalms often David and the other writers of those great odes of praise speak of their sorrow. They speak of their suffering. They acknowledge the things within their lives that are not good.
This is confession. It is our verbal and spiritual agreement that what we are currently living is not good. It is not completing or fulfilling Edenic joy. I am in, and I have contributed to suffering instead of joy.
The Puritans and the Quakers can lament. We have a long history of this. Our spiritual ancestors were imprisoned for our beliefs. They went to jail because they did not remove their hats before nobility because we believed that all people were equal in the eyes of God. We spent time in prison because we would not swear oaths of allegiance to the crown or pledge allegiance to the flag.To swear allegiance means that we must do as that pledge states even if it goes against our convictions. And at that time to swear was to chose a side in a war, and to fight for that side. We would not swear. Not only because Jesus told us not to take an oath, but we would then have an obligation to take a life of a perceived enemy. And if everyone is equal how can that person be an enemy? We know lament, we know it because those were areas of suffering and we were making every attempt to ease that suffering.
But what about hope and joy? Are we looking for their glimmers, or are we so jaded with life that we are unable to see the silver linings in the clouds?
This is why Jesus reminds his disciples that the greatest in the kingdom is a child and unless we are able to become like a child we will never see the kingdom. Children see things differently. Have you watched a child play? Their imaginations take them almost anywhere. I grew up in the middle of nowhere, and there was always some old rusty implement somewhere that would become a spaceship, a fort on the frontier, or a pirate ship sailing the seven seas. The thing is I did not know much about any of those things. Did it matter. Not in the least. But it inspired me to get a book about pirates, or the wild west the next week during our visit to the library. Then those stories became part of our play. Without even knowing it, the play of children inspires the growth of knowledge and even greater creativity.
I remember once while playing on one of our many space ships, which happened to be be an old field rake, my brother and I were on surface of Mars. I remembered reading that the polar ice of that planet was made of frozen carbon dioxide. In our play there was fog all around us. That fog became deadly, we needed to avoid the fog because it would take away our oxygen and the acid it produced would eat away our space suits. We spent hours battling the fog. And then after lunch we were fighting against raiding parties that were harassing the people traveling along the Oregon Trail, and of course nursing all the people with dysentery back to health.
Children know how to play, they know how to make joy. We knew that we were poor, yet that did not stop us.
There is something else that children can do. They can pass joy on. Near the end of my grandma Gregory’s life my brother and I would often spend a Saturday with her. My grandma was an artist. And she specialized in painting landscapes on saw blades. We would go over and watch Bob Ross with her and she would talk about her paintings, where she found the pictures or where the picture was taken. She would tell us stories about why a certain place was special and why she chose to paint it on that blade and not the other.
My grandma had sever arthritis. What we did not know at the time was that she was not able to paint anymore because she could no longer hold the brushes. We did not understand the sorrow she was feeling at the loss of her ability to do what she loved. We enjoyed being able to sit close to the paints. After a few visits she asked us if we would like to paint. It was as if we had been asked to join the Kansas City Chiefs football team. We thought we were given the opportunity of a lifetime. So we eagerly said yes. She patiently directed us as we picked a picture to paint. She would go through the colors and help us determine what was the closest, and then she would let us figure out how to make the color darker or lighter. We both painted a landscape and I thought we were as good as Bob Ross, until I decided to paint a goose on mine. The goose was terrible and ruined the whole thing. But I still remember the time. My grandma invited us to help her finish using up the paint that she could no longer utilize. We assisted her to find a new way to express the passion she had. We helped her paint a couple more landscapes before she was completely unable to enjoy the art she loved. And we shared joy.
That is the thing. Joy and celebration are things we need to work toward. It does not just happen because there is pain, suffering and illness always trying to pull it away from us. In the moments we share together we can acknowledge our own weakness and pass what we have enjoyed to someone else. We need to find ways toward joy.
“Celebration brings joy into life, and joy makes us strong.” Foster says. We lament to release the sorrow, but what are we doing to celebrate? In ancient Israel they had one mandatory fast Yom Kippur, and three mandatory feasts Passover, Pentecost, and The feast of Booths. Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement they were to lament, they were to confess their short comings and repent, turn or change their direction as they were moving into the future. On that day their failures, their suffering, their sorrow were tied to a goat and that goat was driven out into the wilderness. This is where the term scape goat comes from. They placed all their failure on one goat and then drove it away. They did this symbolically, but in their hearts they still wrestled with the reality of the situation. What am I going to do to make the necessary changes?
Yom Kippur was a day of lament, but then there were days of remembrance and celebration. Days is the key word there. The feasts began on the Sabbath where they worshiped, they continued through the week, and ended on the next day of worship. These days of remembrance and days of celebration go together to prevent us from dwelling on our current situations. They remember the past, how God removed them from the house of slavery, they remember how God gave them the law and made them into a nation. And they remember how God provided for them during their desert wanderings. We need to remember, because the struggles of the past can often give us direction in the future.
Along with that remembrance we celebrate that we are no longer where we once were. We have moved forward into that once dark cloud and stand where we are today. We faced the uncertain future and God made a path forward. We lament the troubles of today and as we celebrate we recognize that there can be a bright future if we hope.
Over the past few years our nation has added a new holiday to the federal calendar. For most of us we do not understand the importance of the holiday, but I want us to think about Juneteenth. It is a day that celebrates the emancipation of all the people that were once held in bondage of slavery in the United States. My family were not slaves. Very few of my ancestors owned slaves. Many of my ancestors were active in the abolishion movement but that was something that was over a century ago. People have been upset about the addition of this holiday. But I want us to take a step back. Do we tell the people of Hebrew heritage to stop celebrating Passover? It is the same thing. It is celebrating the emancipation of slaves. No we do not tell them to stop, in fact we join with them in the celebration as that day not only gave them their freedom but it freed us also. We celebrate Passover with Israel, because Jesus releases all of humanity from the bondage of slavery to sin, through his life, death, and resurrection.
The new holiday is not merely a token vote getter, it is an opportunity for each of us to remember where we once were, and how we are no longer the same because we are free, and not only are we free but so are all people within our nation. We remember, and we celebrate the growth.
We remember, and we repent. We cannot make joy come to life, if we are holding onto and living in the lament. Consider the Psalms:
Psalm 90:1–17 (ESV)
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3 You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. 5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: 6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. 7 For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. 10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? 12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. 16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. 17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!
They lament then they praise. They release the sorrow and find something to promote joy. It takes work to celebrate, it takes discipline. If we do not make reasons to celebrate, we will be swallowed by the darkness around us.
We need to learn how to confess, repent, and turn. We need to learn how to live in the joy and celebrate even when Eden seems so distant. We need to be able to remember where we were and strive toward a greater goal. We need to become like children, able to find joy in the common, and make that joy full. And as we do this, we will be able to see glimmers of the kingdom now and prepare ourselves to live in the kingdom for eternity.
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church November 1, 2026 Click here to join our Meeting for Worship Click to read in Swahili Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili 1 Thessalonians 2:9–13 (ESV) 9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of…
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church October 25, 2026 Click Here to Join our Meeting for Worship Matthew 18:1–6 (ESV) 1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them…
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church October 18, 2026 Click Here to Join our Meeting for Worship Click to read in Swahili Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 (ESV) 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and…
By Jared Warner
Willow Creek Friends Church
October 18, 2026
Click Here to Join our Meeting for Worship
1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 (ESV)
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Today we move away from Philippi and head north to the capital of Macedonia, Thessalonica. Thessalonica is an important city not only is it the capital but is was a free city, and remains even today as the second largest city in modern Greece. Interestingly the city is named after it’s founder’s wife, who happened to be the sister of Alexander the Great. This is a city that is different from Philippi because this is a port city, where Philippi was settled inland. This city also had a large Jewish population where Philippi did not. And unlike Philippi this city did have some issues that Paul needed to address.
In Philippians there really were not major moral failings for Paul to speak against. So he provided general guidance and warnings. He encouraged them to love one another, to continue being generous and to remember that we have grace not because of the things we did, but because God loved us first.
Thessalonica is different. It is a free city, which means that it is subject to Rome, but is not governed by it. This is how Judea was under Herod the great, it was subject to but not directly ruled by Rome. To be a free city has some benefits as well as some draw backs. A benefit is that you can make your own laws and print your own money, Generally you are your own nation and yet you are not fully independent. You remain free under certain conditions. You keep the peace.
In the empire, their main concern was to keep the people quiet. They did not want people upset or excited. As long as no one made a sound of protest or became too arrogant you were fine. But if Rome began to hear stories in the empirical court about a free city, they would send a legion to bring it back into compliance. Judea did not keep quiet. Judea had this independent streak. This was fine under Herod because Herod the great was a tyrant, he kept the people quiet and prevented Rome from hearing about that province. But when Herod died things began to change. Herod was known to be a master builder. He built a Temple for the Jewish God. He built fortresses and palaces. He made Judea into something to have pride in. When he died, there was not a clean line of succession. He had too much power, too much wealth, Rome needed to put Israel into its proper place, so they broke Herod’s puppet kingdom up among the sons, and placed a Roman governor over the main city.
Macedonia was similar to Israel. It had pride. This is the birth place of Alexander the Great and where he the Hellenistic conquest began. It was from Macedonia, this northern most province of Greece, that Greek language and culture was spread throughout the world. When we think of Greece we often do not think of Macedonia, we think of Athens and Sparta. Macedonia is like a third of fourth after thought, and yet it was Macedonia that took Greek influence beyond the Aegean out into Africa and Asia.
Because of this rich history Thessalonica needed to be careful. They could not draw too much attention to themselves because if they did Rome might over react. They might see them as reestablishing their former glory making them a direct threat to the peace of Rome. This is the society that Paul found himself in when he first visited this city on his missionary journeys.
Paul came to this city and as was his custom, he went to the synagogues and began to teach. Needless to say, his teaching sparked some controversy. People began to listen to Paul, both Jewish people and Greeks. They began converting to his way of thinking. They turned away from the gods of Thessalonica, and they began to proclaim Christ as their king.
As with many free port cities, there were many temples and many gods to be worshiped. And there are things to remember about the Greek gods that we do not often consider. All too often we think of the polytheistic religions as seeking divine favor, this is sometimes the case, but more often than not it is not favor they seek. Instead they did not want the gods to divert any attention to them at all. They wanted to keep the gods only close enough to not cause trouble, yet far enough away as to not attract attention. If your community attracted the attention of the gods, you might be called upon to fight in some war, or worse be a major site for the religious cult. But being a Roman free city, they also needed to keep another personality at bay, the emperor. The easiest way to keep an emperor from looking too closely at a community was to make a temple devoted to the emperor, and to make sure that the priests of that temple were well maintained.
Paul comes to this city. This port city with temples devoted to Aphrodite, Artemis. Poseidon, and the Caesar. The city of Philippi did not have the diversity of religious devotion that the Thessalonians had. You did not want too much attention but you also did not want to neglect attention. This community of diverse religions would have lavish activities at each of the temples to attract attention from the population, and much of the lavishness usually manifested itself carnally. When we look at the letters that Paul wrote to the churches you will notice that in most, whenever there are discussion of sexual immorality that community has a strong devotion to a goddess. The Ephesians were devoted to Artemis, and had the largest temple to that fertility goddess in the empire. Corinth was devoted to Aphrodite. Both letters to this church focused a great deal of attention to discipline our carnal desires. Thessalonians is similar. They too have devotion to the goddess of fertility, child birth, and the herds. They too devote much energy to the goddess of passion and lust. They too devote themselves to the deity of wine and chaos. They too devote much of their energy to fulfilling the carnal nature of humanity. They do this because they are a port city.
The port cities are often devoted to these things because the people coming into port have had the pleasures of life restricted while they were confined on a ship. They yearn for a good meal, they long for a strong drink, they want to just let loose for a while without any cares because while they are on that ship everything must be held in strict discipline or people will die. But most of all they lusted for human contact.
The Thessalonians met those needs. And they make a great deal of money in the process. Then Paul comes to town, preaching about Jesus. And the teachings of Jesus directly oppose much of the teaching of their society. And he goes as far as saying that Jesus is king.
This one statement is probably the one thing a free city in the Empire dreaded to hear. In their culture there is no king, no leader other than Caesar. People have asked me why the Romans even cared that some preacher at the edge of the empire was gaining attention, the reason Rome took an interest in Jesus was not because of his teachings. The reason they cared was that he did not deny that he was the King of the Jews. There can only be one emperor, only one king. And in Thessalonica they wanted to make sure that the priests in the Emperor’s temple knew that they only had one king, so they threw Paul out of their city.
This did not prevent the gospel from spreading throughout the city, Paul left but the people he met remained. He sent Timothy back and Timothy returned to Paul speaking about how the church, how the assembly of the followers of Christ were doing. And that report is what prompted this letter.
“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace.”
We rarely write letters today. And even when we did write letters, we rarely begin a letter like Paul begins his. But this was proper letter writing in ancient times. This first verse is the address, who is sending the letter and to whom it is sent. I have often wondered about that. I have sat thinking about this letter going out to the church and wondered if the scroll was rolled in such a way that the entire content of the letter was covered and just this first verse was visible on the outside, like a envelope. I think about weird things. But this was the proper way to write a letter in that time.
From, to, blessing.
We do not think much about that opening, but there is something important here. This letter is sent from Paul, Silvanus (Silas), and Timothy. Notice it is sent by three people. When Paul writes a letter to a church, it is usually sent by multiple people, with a couple exceptions Ephesians and Romans. This tells us something. The Church is sending the letter to the Church. It is not just one person’s ranting on a subject, but it is the consensus of the church.
But there are times where Paul send a letter only from himself. Like the letters to Timothy and Titus. These are important letters, but these letters are more personal. They are the advise of a wise master given to a student, not necessarily something that has been discussed among the elders and decreed to the larger church.
Which leaves the exceptions of Romans and Ephesians. Why did Paul send those letters from just himself? I really do not know, but my guess is that Paul wrote them to defend his personal standing among the leaders of the church, it is more of a personal testimony than a decree.
The church is sending this letter to the Thessalonians, the apostles Paul, Silas, and Timothy have been praying and discussing how to encourage the people living within this community. And they are in agreement.
“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.”
In just a few short verses, these three leaders of the church, have done a great deal. They have shown us Christian discipline. We give thanks, for You. We constantly mention you. We pray for you.
Gratitude, selflessness and prayer. These are very important disciplines for each of us to participate in. This is something often missing within our culture. We live in such a consumeristic society that it is difficult to be thankful for what we have, for who we are, and most of all thankful for those around us. Instead we are constantly informed of the things we do not have, and reminded of how amazing life would be if we only had this one product that could be ours with five easy payments of $29.95. We are reminded every day that our bodies are not exactly the greatest example of our species. And if we would just lose a few pounds, we might be more acceptable. And we are reminded of what we are missing out on because of our life choices.
We give thanks to God always for you. Paul and the others are not thinking about themselves, they are giving thanks to God for the people of Thessalonica. When they enter into that time of personal devotion to God, they are not only praying about all of their personal problems, their financial situation, or their health they are mentioning their thankfulness for this group of believers that live in that port city of Macedonia that had run them out of town. They want them to be filled with love for one another that they would work diligently to show that love to the people around them, and be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Can you imagine if we as a church received a letter like this from three of our most respected leaders. Not just a letter seeking a contribution, but one that said we thank God for all the things you are doing right there in your community. We think it is awesome.
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.” Not only do they thank God for them, but they have a pet name. “Brothers loved by God”. I quickly looked through the other letters Paul sent out, he does not address the other churches like this. He speaks of them well and with grace yes, but he does not call them brothers loved by God like it is some team nickname. But they have this nickname for the church in Thessalonica. They are the Brother loved by God.
Why do they get that name? Of course we are all siblings in Christ, but the people of Thessalonica needed this assurance. They eagerly embraced the gospel but the Jewish religious leaders rose up against Paul and drove him out of the city. And of those first to believe in that city was a man named Jason. When the crowds came demanding Paul to come out to face them, Jason stood firm protecting Paul and he stood trial in Paul’s place. This is a city that knew self sacrifice because they eagerly stood where Paul stood and they faced the fury of religious self-righteousness. Yet did Paul hold a grudge? Were they still accepted even though their community reacted in such a manner? “Brothers Loved by God.” You are not only accepted but you are chosen.
You have stood in the place that I stand. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit.”
They stood where Paul stands. They suffered as Paul suffered. They had to make, in front of the religious and the pagan, a declaration of their faith mere moments after they believed. And they took that message out to the surrounding villages and community. They became the example for all believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
I thought about that term, “Brothers loved by God.” I thought about Jason who brought Paul and his companions into his home while the city filled with devotees of every temple including the Jewish people from the synagogue pounded on his door demanding the man that turned the world upside down to be released to them. And the amount of faith that it took to stay steadfast in the face of danger.
Would we stand? Would we speak with a voice that is seemingly overpowered by the voices of a mob? Would we open our homes up to the very people that seem to be turning our entire society upside down?
That is the power of the gospel, the reality of the risen Lord. Jesus came to live among humanity. The one that created all things that were created left the throne of heaven to be born of a young girl, from a town in the middle of nowhere. That young girl became the greatest woman among women and for thousands of years we praise her faith, and say blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. She bore God, the creator of the universe held and knitted together in a womb. And was born as a helpless infant. The entire story is just ridiculous and yet compelling. Jesus grew within that community. He grew a member of the family and part of the larger community. He worked, worshiped, shared meals, wept, and laughed with his community. And then after he met his cousin at the river he went out into the wilderness for a month, and when he returned he began to teach.
And what he taught did turn the world upside down. Love your enemies. Do good for those that persecute you. Do not act like the leaders of the gentiles who lord it over them, but instead become a servant to all. He told us to stop thinking about ourselves and start building the community up for each other. And that threatened the kingdoms of the world.
The gospel threatens anyone and everyone that wants power because it tells us that to desire such a thing will send you to hell. And it will. Because when we take the power, when we take the knowledge of good and evil on ourselves instead of letting God give us that knowledge in his own time that is just what we will make of the world. We choose who has and who has not. And then we wonder why people get upset. Jesus said do not live like that. Instead give. Love God with everything and your neighbor with everything else.
Jason heard that message and it filled him with a power beyond himself. He stood in front of a city, in front of a government official that held his very life in his hands and Jason did not back down. He instead stood up for justice and truth.
The entire city was devoted to goddess and emperor worship, and Jason stood devoted to the teachings of Jesus. He stood as a Brother Loved by God, against the forces that opposed the ways of God.
Will we stand? Will we look at what is occurring in our community and speak up? Will we look at the injustice and stand in the place of the other because we know it is the right thing to do even if the entire city is against us? Will we become a people so devoted to living the love of Jesus with others that people on the other side of the empire will write letters thanking us for our faithfulness?
I close today with the ninth query of the Faith and Practice. Do you exercise your rights and duties as a citizen to vote, to fulfill jury duty, and in other ways to bring Christian influence in all levels of government? Do we bring a Christian influence? I want us to center on that word because I believe it to be the key of this query. Are we living our lives, are the words that we speak, and the things we support bringing a Christian influence? Will the people around us see Caesar or Christ? Let us become an example for the world to see, an example of the loving brother and cherished friend.
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church October 04, 2026 Click Here to Join our meeting for Worship Philippians 3:4–14 (ESV) If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of…
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church September 27, 2026 Click Here to Join our Meeting for Worship Philippians 2:1–13 (ESV) 1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the…
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church August 23, 2026 Click here to join our Meeting for Worship Click to read in Swahili Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili Romans 12:1–8 (ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which…
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By Jared Warner
Willow Creek Friends Church
October 04, 2026
Click Here to Join our meeting for Worship
Philippians 3:4–14 (ESV)
If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
“If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:”
We meet Paul again in his letter to the Philippians. Remember that this is a group of people that is passionate about their faith. They are actively participating, they are supporting the ministries within their own community and are even enabling the ministry of other, like Paul, in their missionary journeys. This is important to remember. Even early in the church, within the first church of Europe, which would eventually grow into what is known as Christian-dom, or the Western church, people were actively praying for and providing resources toward the expansion of the gospel.
Paul did not have a single thing to say to this church that was negative. You might think, if there was nothing negative, what was all that last week? There were some things within their cultural framework that could potentially limit the progression of the growing Kingdom influence.
By most standards, Philippi was a comfortable, potentially considered wealthy, community. They were situated near the coast, but not on the coast. This gave them access to regional trade, without the problems that having a port might bring in. And this was a community that was settled by retire soldiers. Soldiers honorably discharged were given a sizable parting income, which throughout much of the empirical period included a parcel of land. And a community that had a significant population consisting of these retired soldiers, would have an upper middle class to wealthy economy. They had financial means, they had land to grow their own wealth, and they had one more thing that many that populated the empire did not have, citizenship.
This word is a hot topic in our contemporary era. We think of it being extremely important and for most of us we did nothing to gain that label. Citizenship in Rome was different. There was birthright citizenship, but this was not common. This was something that was largely only for those that were born into the ruling class of people, the elites. These were the people that served in the government, were representatives in the senate, and occupied the various governor residences within the territories. This would represent, what today would be the top one percent of the population. What about the rest of the people? The vast majority were slaves. One could become a slave in a variety of ways. You could have been a captured enemy combatant. Maybe, you were in financial ruin and the only option was to sell yourself in to slavery, or maybe you were just born that way. Slave were a significant part of the population, but there was another group, the merchants, or the freemen. This was a group of people that caused the ruling class to worry. They were not citizen and they were not slaves. They were not allowed to participate in society outside of trade, yet much of the laws that were enacted were instituted to manage and control them. They would give these freemen just enough liberty to keep them happy, just enough financial assistance to keep them quiet, and just enough opportunity to keep them occupied. But they did not want them to get any ideas that might threaten the status quo.
Philippi was a town that had a high number of citizens. It was basically a community of citizens and slaves. Not much in between, because the merchants lived around the ports, or were skilled tradesmen that worked in the markets. This community was filled with people that had the one thing most other comminutes lacked, it was a community of citizens.
Paul writes to this community of people, and he reminds them that they must do nothing out of selfishness, or conceit. That we should regard others better than ourselves. He reminds them of this because it is easy to forget that there is a human life at the other end of our policies. It is too easy to regard people as a faceless group instead of them as unique image bearers like ourselves. And when we dehumanize and marginalize humanity, it becomes easy to make decisions that only benefit the group we consider most important. Paul is warning them, not because it is happening right now. No he is warning them because it can happen, he has seen it happen before, and he earnestly prays that it will not happen with this community.
Yet they are prideful. And according to the standards of the world they have every right to have that pride. In their culture they have it all, but Paul is telling them that their confidence is misplaced.
I think, at times, we do not realize the unique aspects of our spiritual heritage. In most ancient cultures, their identities seem to get swallowed up within the cultural mainstream. The things that once made them unique tend to almost vanish. Little things might remain. Language is one aspect of culture that might remain within certain regions, perhaps some skilled art in weaving or pottery. But it is often difficult to distinguish a clear division between one culture and another. If you were to ask most people what the difference between a Russian and Ukrainian were they would be unable to tell you. Or what is the difference between an American and someone from Canada? And for most of us, we could not begin to distinguish the differences between the peoples of Asia, unless they happen to have snacks and Pokémon. But the Hebrew people were able to maintain some cultural heritage even while living in exile.
There are many factors to this. The largest is that God promised that a remnant would remain to the end. But there is something more. The Greek culture found them to be a curiosity. They were so different from the Greek people, and yet they held respect for them. They for centuries held this manner of thinking that had survived where so many other systems of thought disappeared beneath the sands of time. How many of us know who the gods of Nineveh are? The only reason we know of the Egyptian pantheon is because of the Rosetta Stone, and we know of Roman and Greek thought because they sort of merged into one. The Romans and the Greeks had similarities that just seem to fit well together, we often consider Greek and Roman mythology as the same thing with different names. But the people of Israel did not get swallowed by the surrounding culture. Its amazing if you think about it.
They were this curiosity, they presented a philosophy that was similar in part yet vastly different to that of the Greeks. Why did the Greeks allow them to persist? They were curious. They saw the ancient history, the long held ritualistic heritage, and the intense discipline, and the Greek thinkers invited them to the discussion. They did not necessarily agree, but they enjoyed the conversation. This is the whole idea of the university, that was championed by the Greek culture. The sharing of ideas, the debate among the details, and the liberty to make an informed decision. That is as much our heritage as anything else. That is the culture democracy and the republic was crafted upon.
But there was another idea in the mix also. One of dominance and power. The idea that might is right. This was also present in aspects of Greek culture, because there was many little city states, and at times different ones held the power. And for that time, the voice of the victor carried the most weight within the discussion. Philippi was a city in the Greek provinces, dominated by Rome yet still holding parts of that Greek culture. It is in this unique and slightly confusing place we find Paul today.
“If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more.”
Paul is pulling at the ideas of might is right. He is capitalizing on the Greek romance with ancient thinking as part of the debate, and he is at the same time teaching them the early theology of Christ.
“[C]ircumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews.” He is letting them know his story. He is of this ancient group that has had strict traditions that were ancient even to their contemporary era. He was circumcised in those customs. And he was of the tribe of Benjamin.
The mention of this tribe has always made me wonder. Why did it matter? Saul the first king of Israel was of the line of Benjamin. And Benjamin’s tribe, because of the grace David showed to Johnathan’s offspring, became the most zealous defenders of David’s Dynasty. Think for a moment about the various special operation forces we have in our defense department, the rangers, seals, marines. Each has their own specialty and skill. In Israel, they had Benjamin, the sole tribe that remained loyal to Judah even when all the others rebelled against them and divided the kingdom.
Paul is saying, I am part of that elite group. I am a member of the special force, the loyal tribe, the tribe that held the first royal line, and fierce defended the second royal family because David was gracious. But that heritage was not the only thing that was important. “As to the law,” Paul says, “a Pharisee”. This meets the Greek university thinkers. He is not merely someone with ancient roots, he has an education, he has learning. He can hold his own in a debate, and he brings with him the citations to prove his point.
“As to zeal,” he continues, “a persecutor of the church.” He was not only educated he was willing to defend his stance and take down anyone that opposed it. He was given a mandate to seek out and hunt those that participated and spread the teachings of the church, and he did it gladly. “As to righteousness under the law, blameless.” Again this reaches across the cultural barrier and confronts the teachings of not only the righteous among the people of Hebrew, but also to the Greek philosophers. The people of Israel were not the only people who sought to live ethical and moral lifestyles. Greek writers composed volumes on ethics. They created schools promoting stoicism, they created cults dedicated to the study of geometry and finding the fingerprints of God in the created order. Paul was blameless. He no matter which way you looked or which school of philosophical discipline you held, you could not look at Paul’s life and lifestyle and find fault.
Paul was a good man. He had every right to think of himself as good, and to top it all off he too was a citizen of Rome, just like them. “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”
Our English translations have softened Paul’s words at this point. Paul calls all the things that he has confidence in. All the things that the world has confidence in waste. It is literally manure, or fecal material left in the stable after the horses eat their daily oats.
Everything we hold as important is the same. What lasting value is the title of manager after I retire? It is great until that store goes bankrupt. As long as we have power our status remains relevant but the moment we lose power, we are just an irrelevant footnote in history. How many Pharoses are honored in Egypt? We know a few but they are not honored, they are paraded around for tourists to raise money, the once great living gods of the Nile, are nothing more than a street corner act. Their greatness is muck in the stalls of history. What about the kings of Europe? We only know of a couple, and are not all that impressed.
But who is remembered? We remember even after the sands of history the leaders and saints that did not regard status. When Christmas comes we sing of good king Wenceslas that went walking on the feast of Stephen. The funny thing about that is he was not even a king, but a duke. We remember him because he went out in the winter snows to make sure the people of his duchy had supplies. We remember with cheer the leaders, the ministers, the saints and ordinary people the took time for us. We remember the people that made sacrifices so that we could move forward.
Everything I have done, the degrees I obtained, the positions I held. No one really cares. Except for the people that where watching, or received some act of service. I have had several teachers from school, I only remember a few well. And it is not because they were easy, in fact they were some of the teachers I hated at the time. Mr. Boyd that always pushed me to do more. Mr. Douglas because he would never let me go one week without having to spell everything right. Mr. Ginther and his weird mannerisms yet passion for science. These teachers invested their life into mine.
Paul says everything I have done for my own benefit is manure, its waste sitting in the stable. It is chewed up, digested, and expelled. Except those things that brought him closer to Christ.
Why do we even know Paul? Is it because of his zeal for persecuting the church? Or his heritage? No we only know of him because he traveled the Roman Empire, planted churches, and wrote a bunch of letters? He sacrificed his reputation, his career, his very life for what? We know Stephen, we know James the brother of Jesus. We know Francis even outside of Catholic circles, why? They gave up all they had, and they invested it all into the lives of people for the sake of Christ.
Here Paul is, saying everything he has ever worked for is a stinking pile of rubbish, and we are reading one of his letters over a thousand years later.
What would drive a man like this, if he does not gain anything for himself? “That I may know him and the power of the resurrection, and may share his suffering, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection of from the dead.” He wants to know Christ.
He wants to know Christ because there is something about Jesus that crosses cultural barriers and challenges everything we thought we knew. If you were to sit down and read the words of Jesus’ teaching honestly, how many of us can say we meet the standard? Love your enemy? Do good to those that persecute you? Welcoming the stranger?
Paul tells this group of believers, this group of well-to-do, citizens of Rome, that he is just like them. And he knows none of that matters. Where we were born does not matter. Our political party does not matter. Our degree, our marital status, our career. It does not matter unless we devote it to Christ and use what is available to us to encourage those around us open up to the whispers of God’s Spirit in their lives. “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and staining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
To Paul, the only thing to strive toward is the thing that brought you to the feet of Christ. It is our weakness, our passions, our hopes, and our sorrows. Why do I stand here today? It is probably because I prayed at one time that God would give me the strength to speak once twenty-five years ago, when I had to stand before the class and give a speech. He met me in my weakness, and in him, I found the strength. Or it might be that I prayed once for comfort when my soul was crying out, why! The night twenty-nine years ago when my little sister was laying in a hospital be with machines keeping her alive. I remember that night praying for comfort and strength, I prayed for knowledge if she was going to have earthly healing or if she would go to his arms. And I felt comfort within my chest, knowing that she was with him and I did not need to fear.
I can list many stories, I could list people, and places. I can list many things, but still to this day I do not know why I am here. I can tell you why I should not be easier than why I should. And that is the point Paul is making. It is not about what I have done. Yes, I still strive to know God more deeply, but everything I do is like a blunder that somehow landed right side up. Do not think I am perfect, Paul says. Do not think for a moment that I have it all together. But if you do look at me, know this. I am seeking Christ and I will press on toward that with everything that I have because that is all that matters. Jesus saw Paul within the righteousness and zeal of Saul, and Jesus called that out. Jesus heard a voice in a boy that barely spoke a word, and now that voice speaks weakly, or weekly depending on the day. Press on to that prize, the prize of Christ, who did not believe that equality with God was something that could be taken or forced, but became obedient, submitting himself even unto death. He submitted so that we could rise with him. And he is calling out to each of us.
Where or in what are we putting our confidence in? And is it something you would like to step into?
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church August 16, 2026 Click here to join our Meeting for Worship Click to read in Swahili Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili Romans 11:1–2a, 29–32 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the…
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church August 08, 2026 Click Here to Join our Meeting for Worship Click to read in Swahili Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili Last week we spoke about how from the beginning God counted humanity as the elect over creation. This might have caused some of you to think I had…
Matthew 6:31–34 (ESV) 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and…
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