Our experience, appreciation and understanding of Good Friday and Easter is largely determined by how we prepare for them. That is what Lent is for. As with any tradition, Lent can become meaningless but it doesn’t have to be. For me, growing up, Lent meant little more than not eating meat on Fridays. It can be more. It is more. Lent is a time to prepare our mind, heart, imagination, affections, conscience and will to lay hold of the great love of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ afresh. This preparation is primarily marked by the practice of repentance, reflection and confession. What follows are some thoughts to help aid in your practice and participation in this season.

 
Also, be sure to join us tomorrow night, Thursday (February 23rd), for our monthly prayer night. We’ll be placing a particular emphasis on the season of Lent in prayer and repentance.

Last week I had an opportunity to attend the Downtown Seattle Associations’ (DSA) State of Downtown Forum with 1,000 other business, art and civic leaders at the Westin Hotel. Both DCC and my family are members of the DSA. If you are a downtown resident, you should consider it yourself. It was a great event, filled with helpful insights on life (living, working, shopping, playing) downtown.

You might ask, “Why would a church be involved in something like that?”

First, we love Jesus Christ. We are a church with a deep love for Jesus, a thirst for His Word, and a passion for the spread of His Gospel. All things were created by Him, for Him and through Him – including Seattle. He is the Cornerstone of the church, this city, and reality itself. He is not distant and detached. Rather, he made this city and fashioned every person here in his image. Our city’s love for beauty, art, creativity, outdoors, and technology all point to the One who made and sustains them all. Therefore, it goes without saying, Jesus loves Seattle and wants “all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim 2:4)

Second, we love Seattle too. If we love Jesus, we also love what he loves, including Seattle. Therefore, we embrace our city, learn from our city and are for our city. We are not in Seattle to stand above it (in judgment) or hide under it (in fear) or to mirror it (in surrender), but to serve it (in love). We love Seattle. We are Seattlites and are here for fellow Seattlites who dislike, hate or are skeptical of the church – as well as those who love Jesus’ church. We want as many people as possible to meet Jesus and experience life as it was intended to be – now and forever.

Third, this is why we exist to build a great city through the gospel of Jesus for the glory of God. God created all things good, whole and perfect. Sin shattered that perfection. But, God sent His son, Jesus the Christ, to live, die and rise again for the forgiveness of sin and to begin the restoration process of the entire universe – through His redeemed people. To be truly Christian is to be truly human; living as we were always intended to live, in loving relationship with God and others. God offers us this life-as-it-should-be through the Gospel, and sends us to be “salt” and “light” (Mat 5:13-14) in our city; to be agents of preservation, renewal and light in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. As this happens, the city changes. Personal Gospel renewal inevitably leads to city renewal as the very social, cultural and spiritual fabric of the city is redeemed. The result? A great city, where Jesus is loved, sin is forgiven, lives are transformed, relationships are reconciled, mercy is extended, integrity is restored, families are rebuilt. That kind of city is a foretaste of forever with Jesus.

“But, how do we do that?”

To do that well, our aim is to cultivate a faithful presence in our city and continually work to understand what makes our city tick. Or, in other words, as the Apostle Paul said:

“I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all
for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” 1 Cor 9:22-23

If we genuinely love our city, we should strive to understand it so that we can faithfully and effectively articulate the unchanging gospel into our ever-changing culture. That’s where the DSA event comes in. To become “all things to all people” is to understand where others are coming from (likes, fears, passions, hopes, dreams, etc.) in order to more effectively extend the gospel of Jesus. Here are some things I learned about our city last week:

 
Let’s love our city – and the people of our city – well, for Jesus’ sake. Let’s work to cultivate a significant faithful presence for Jesus, being intentional about spreading his mercy and message. That doesn’t happen overnight, but over decades. Let’s continue to ask Him to do what only He can, in our lifetime and in generations to come. God’s story truly is the greatest show on earth. “Behold I am laying in [Seattle] a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:6)

-Pastor Adam Sinnett

We recently moved. Three blocks to be exact. And, well, it was a little bitter sweet. Why? Because we saw God do some amazing things in our little 2nd floor 850 sq ft apartment, and 11th floor community room, in the middle of the city. We saw Him grow an eight person launch team into a church. We saw Him answer prayers in extraordinary ways. We saw him multiply one community into six. We saw people come to know and grow in Jesus. We hosted many not-yet-believers and had countless opportunities to share the gospel. We hosted many of you. We saw relationships form, broken and reconciled – sometimes all at once! We saw many take the step of faith in committing to a church plant. We sang. We laughed – a lot.

It is probably not a surprise to you that God uses spaces. Don’t miss this. Yes, clearly, God uses people. But, he uses people in spaces: arks, prison cells, tents, deserts, whale bellies, castles, baskets, stables and more. Here’s what I want you to know, believe and live: God wants to use the spaces he has placed you in for his glory, the good of others and your joy. I want to encourage you to not see the every day spaces that you find yourself in (cars, cubicles, offices, homes, complexes, coffee shops, etc.) as neutral to the things of God. He wants to transform how you see and use the normal spaces in your life as miniature stages where his story can continue to unfold in small and big ways. He invites all of us into that.

#1 He wants to use your spaces.

It can be too easy to think that God only works through certain people, but not me, and certain places, but not mine. How would your outlook change if you viewed your every day spaces as stages within God’s story? We may not say it out loud, but we often live in a way that demonstrates our lack of faith in a God who is present, living, and working. We create a false separation between sacred and secular, when all of life is sacred. God is everywhere and everything is His, including your every day spaces. How could you redeem the use of your spaces for Him? Our previous apartment was just an apartment, but God used it as a stage for so much more. He wants to do the same with yours.

#2 Don’t underestimate what God wants to do through you.

Maybe this is because we live in Seattle or maybe it’s just the human heart, but too often we underestimate what God wants (or can) do through us. So, we wait or abdicate. We think, “I’ll do more when I’m in a better place.” We never get there, so we never do. Jesus wants you to experience the exhilaration of using your spaces for him, viewing them as stages within his redemptive story. That could mean personal transformation as you commit to trusting him and walking by the power of his grace in your every day spaces. It could also mean regularly inviting folks over for dinner or dessert, taking opportunities to pray for others as the Spirit prompts you, recognizing and meeting the needs of those around you and more. Start simple, but pray big. Don’t underestimate what God wants to do through you.

#3 Fight cynicism with anticipation.

We often celebrate cynicism, particularly in our city. But, cynicism is just unbelief that masquerades as intellectualism. It looks and sounds smart, quick and witty – but it is filled with unbelief in a God who has worked a massive redemption and delivered some massive promises to His people. The gospel of Jesus Christ transforms cynicism to optimism. Optimism creates a sense of anticipation. God’s specialty is taking normal, ordinary people and doing abnormal, extraordinary things. Our lives should reflect an anticipation that God is who he says he is. Fight cynicism with gospel-birthed anticipation.

#4 Some Practical Suggestions.

By now, some of you may be asking, “But how?” Good question. First, get to know your God really, really well through daily means of grace (Bible, prayer, community, etc). The better you know Him, the more you’ll trust Him. Second, repent of unbelief and cynicism as the Spirit leads. Ask Him to fill you with a fresh sense of hope, joy and anticipation in him. Third, consider dedicating your spaces to God. Not in a weird, I’m-going-to-anoint-my-elevator-at-work sense. But, just a simple prayer over your home, cubicle or car, telling Jesus you want to use them as mini-stages within His larger story. Ask Jesus to give you eyes and ears to see the many ways He is already at work in you and others around you – ask to join Him in that work. Lastly, think through what Jesus wants to do in and through you in your daily spaces. Wouldn’t it be cool to say, “That apartment is where Jesus transformed my anger” or “I shared the gospel with 10 co-workers in that cubicle” or “I learned what prayer is in that car” or “Jesus healed my marriage in that coffee shop” or “We hosted 20 non-Christians this year for dessert at our dining room table”? Your car is not just a car. Your apartment is not just an apartment. Your cubicle is not just a cubicle. They can be stages within God’s story; God uses spaces.

It was an exciting morning as we saw friends and neighbors proclaim commitment to Christ and be baptized, symbolizing their new life in Him. God has not called us to plant this church in order to merely build a great church – but to build a great city, from the avenues to the alley ways. That happens as individual lives are changed by Jesus and sent into the city armed with His message and mercy. Baptism marks that change, and for that we rejoice!

On Sunday I planned to offer some practical help on how to engage others for the purposes of the gospel based on our text, Acts 8:26-40, but I ran out of time. If you missed it, you can listen to or read the sermon here. There was too much gospel gold to serve up in one sitting. What follows compliments what has already been said there.

God’s Heart

One of the reasons I love this passage is that it shows us so much about the heart of God. It shows us that God loves those who are really, really, really far from him. It shows us that God can use even the briefest, chance encounters to effect eternal change. It shows us that God is weaving a story beyond our comprehension. It shows us that he invites us in to be part of the action as conduits of his grace.

Where Do I Start?

One of the questions I often get is “Where do I start?” Many of you want to participate in God’s mission of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, but you don’t know where to begin. This passage gives us some help to do just that. What follows are five practical principles for joining Jesus’ mission, based on Acts 8:26-40.

#1) Keep it Simple. Don’t over-complicate what it means to live life with gospel-intentionality. You don’t need to carve out 10 extra hours a week. No one has 10 extra hours in their week. Rather, ask yourself, “Where is God already at work?” and then, “What would it look like for me to join him in that?” We don’t know exactly what Philip was doing when he heard the angel of the Lord tell him to head to the desert, but we do know that he was (1) in a place to hear the Lord and (2) ready to follow Him. Are you? Keep doing what you’re already doing, but with ears ready to discern where God is working and a spirit ready to obey. Keep it simple.

#2) Ask Questions and Listen. (Acts8:30,34-35) The very first thing that Philip did was ask a question, Do you understand what you are reading? That’s a good principle. It is easy to assume that we know where people are at and what they are thinking. But, often, the truth is we don’t. If we’re ready to share the gospel of grace, we must also be ready to tangibly demonstrate that same grace by patiently asking questions and listening to others – that’s just love. When the timing is right, they will eventually ask, How can I, unless someone guides me? You’ll be surprised how people will express interest in your beliefs, if you do the same for them.

#3) Use the Word of God. (Acts 8:35) We are told that, beginning with this Scripture [Philip] told him the good news about Jesus. He started with the Scriptures. When possible, we should too. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. The Spirit uses His inspired word to work faith into hearts. There is no other way to say it, other than it is a supernatural work. I experienced this first hand when I became a Christian. This means it is important for every follower of Jesus to, not only have a Bible readily available, but also have some verses that you can quote from memory, such as John 3:16, 1Jn 4:10, Rom 5:8, Eph 2:8-9, Rom 6:23, John 1:12, etc.

#4) Open Your Mouth. (Acts 8:35) This almost goes without being said. Almost. We have to open our mouths. Yes, we need to pray. Yes, we need to demonstrate the grace, mercy and transforming effect of the gospel in our lives. Yes, often others need to know that we care, before they will care about what we know. But, there comes a point where we must open our mouths to communicate the life-changing, world-altering, sin-forgiving news of the gospel. Much wisdom and love is required to walk this tension.

#5) Lookout for Hungry Hearts. (Acts 8:28) If you want to share the gospel with others, look for hungry hearts around you. Who is seeking? Who is asking questions? Who seems to be interested when you talk about church, the Bible or Jesus? Who is going through a rough season of life and potentially more open to talking about deeper things? If there are people around you that this is true of, that’s from God. It’s not a guarantee they will turn to God, but it is a sign that God is stirring faith in them. Act on that. Pray for everyone, but lovingly pursue hungry hearts.

So, where will you start? Invite neighbors over for a monthly BBQ? Ask a co-worker out for lunch or coffee? Be more intentional with that one friend? Adopt a Real Change seller downtown? Pray for greater sensitivity to the Spirit’s movement? Look at everything you’re already doing, and everyone involved in what you’re already doing, and ask, How can I best live every day, ordinary with gospel intentionality? Just start and watch Him work.

What follows are some statistics and demographic info I came across recently via our friends at the Downtown Seattle Association. This is really helpful as we seek to build a great city, through the gospel of Jesus Christ, for glory of God. We have a strategic opportunity to effect temporal and eternal change here by cultivating a faithful presence for the cause of Christ in the heart of the city – whether you live, work or play here.

***Source: Downtown Seattle Association

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

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Summary

In Acts 8:9-25 the gospel faces potential distortions. What we see is that for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to spread in our city, and in our lives, we must continually clarify it, confirm it and commit ourselves to it. Christianity is not an abstract theory, but the living work of the living God in the living Savior, Jesus. At its center is an incomparable Gospel.

Introduction

We are about of a third of the way through our study of the book of Acts, which is the earliest authoritative historical account of the beginnings of the Christian church. We’re taking our time through this great book because as a new Bible-believing, Jesus-loving, Gospel-centered church it is crucial for us to understand the nature of true Christianity and our part in God’s continuing story, today. Last week we saw the church scattered, due to the stoning of Stephen (7:54-60), into Judea and Samaria, in fulfillment of Jesus’ promise (1:8). We then looked at, in Acts 8:1-5, five marks of effective gospel ministry: movement of missionaries, city-focused, gospel-declaring, gospel-displaying, reconciling.

Today, the story zooms into the city of Samaria, where Luke the Physician (author of Acts) records the encounter of Simon the Magician and Philip and the Apostles. Up to this point, the gospel of Jesus Christ has exploded like a bomb in Jerusalem and is now making its way to the world, via Samaria. Opposition began immediately, ranging from external persecution to internal hypocrisy. In this section, the gospel is potentially threatened with distortions. This is significant because when the gospel message is distorted it loses its saving and transforming power – and becomes like any other message. This is incredibly relevant for us today, as we living a city with many varying messages of hope, life and joy. For the Gospel to spread here, and for the sake of our own souls, we must continually clarify it, confirm it and commit ourselves to it.

By way of set-up, today we’re going to be talking about other religions and worldviews in relation to Christianity. That can inevitably cause tension b/c Christianity makes a claim to exclusivity. That is a cardinal sin in Seattle – if it believed in such things. One of the things I often hear is, “Who am I to judge someone else’s beliefs and tell them they’re wrong?” In other words, all paths must lead to the same place. That particular stance is called religious pluralism: all claims are equally valid. The implication here is that to be exclusive is to be arrogant and condescending. But, to be pluralistic is to be humble and loving. That is not true and we have to establish that from the beginning.

There are many people who have carefully considered the religions of the world, carefully searched for truth and humbly came to conclusion that Jesus is exactly who he said he is. That is not arrogant. Rather, that is being genuine. Insisting on what is true doesn’t make you arrogant, though there is an arrogant way to do that. Ironically, religious pluralism can also be arrogant by insisting that all roads lead to God – and there is no other way. That is an exclusive itself. The point here is simple. We’re all in the same boat. Let’s think through this together, humbly, and in pursuit of truth.

8:9-13 Clarifying the Gospel.

Here we meet Simon the Magician. His magic is not what is known as magic today, the art of illusion. Rather, he was utilizing occult practices to manipulate the spirit world with incantations, formulas and rituals. We’re told that everyone paid attention, from least to greatest. Not all spiritual power is positive. Simon can do amazing things – and amaze others – but the power is not from God. There are good and evil spirits. Meanwhile, Philip arrives and preaches the good news regarding the kingdom of God (God’s active rule and activity in forgiving, healing, reconciling, etc) and the name of Jesus. Those previously amazed by Philip’s magic are now more amazed by the good news of the gospel – including Philip. The one who amazed others is now amazed himself.

What can we learn from this?

You might object, “Well, no one gets that caught up in things like that today. Magic?” Yes we do. All the time. Look at the passage. The Samaritans went form believing magic to embracing the gospel. The principle here is that we are always believing something. We are always amazed by something. There is no neutral ground. Another way of saying this, is that we all believe a gospel, an ultimate good news. It is gospel news that gives us ultimate worth, value, meaning, purpose. If your ultimate happiness depends on something you can lose, you are trusting a magic gospel. It appears legit, but it is ultimately empty.

There is competition for our amazement. We are created to be amazed by God, but instead we are amazed by created things. Ro1:25 “[we] have exchanged the truth about God 4 a lie + worshiped + served the creature rather than the Creator” That is what sin does. It distorts. There’s truth there, but distorted. Result? “MAGIC” gospels. What is your magic gospel? What competes for amazement?

This same distortion happens within religion and other belief systems too. Some have estimated there are 20 world religions and 100s subsets within those. It can be overwhelming. One of the results of that is the prevailing view has become that they are all the same. They all deal with a higher power + spiritual cxn + various practices + afterlife.

But, there is another option. Maybe they’re not so similar because they’re all the same. Maybe one is true and the others are all distortions. Christianity claims to be THE truth; Not that others don’t have any truth, but its distorted truth.

You might say “That can’t be.” Let me show you how similar other religions are in the end…

• Islam. Muhammed. Revelations. 610-632AD. Re-wrote Bible. Jesus ≠ God. Saved = obedience/good.
• Mormonism. Joseph Smith. 1820’s. NY. XNty distorted. Bible + others. Jesus ≠ God. Saved = works Jehovah’s Witness. Charles Russell. Pittsburgh. 1870’s. Jesus ≠ God. Created own Bible. Saved = works
• Baha’i. 1800’s. Iranian business man. Bible only one of many sacred texts. Jesus≠God. Saved = works.
• Christian Science. 1860’s. Mary Baker Eddy. Jesus ≠ God. Bible filled w/ errors. Saved by works.
• Buddhism. Self salvation by following Middle Path, Four Noble Truth, Eightfold Path. Goal = Nirvana.
• Unitarian Universalism. Bible filled error. Jesus ≠ God. Save self through moral character = works.
• Scientology. L.Ron Hubbard. 1950’s. Bible = legend. Jesus = legend. Self-help.
• New Age. Man = divine. Bible one of many. Jesus ≠ God. Salvation = works and reincarnation. Grown in popularity, in particular, in the last 50 years.
• Atheism/Agnostics. This life all there is. Jesus≠God. Bible=book. YET, still moral, “good person”.

 
You can see why people say “They’re all the same.” They do sound similar, except Christianity which is the opposite. Initially it seems like there are a lot of options, but in the end there aren’t that many. CS Lewis noted during his journey from atheism to Christianity, that in the end Hindusim (polytheistic) and Christianity were the only viable options. Why? Because Hinduism absorbs all religious systems, and Christianityexcludes all others, maintaining the supremacy of claims of Jesus Christ.

One of the things that stood out to me during my preparation was how similar religious pluralism is to Hinduism. The Bhagavad Gītā (4:11) says, “As people approach me, so I receive them. All paths lead to me” The underlying assumption of Hinduism is that everyone worships the same God, whether they know it or not. That’s an underlying assumption in Seattle too. Seattle is very Hindu in its thinking – without knowing it.

But, the gospel stands apart from all others. It is incomparable.
Jesus is God in the flesh who came to seek and save the lost, because we cannot save ourselves (which every other worldview and religion maintains). We cannot save ourselves. But, God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes shall not perish. Therefore if we repent of our sin and trust Him, we receive forgiveness, grace, adoption, Spirit, eternal life and so much more (i.e. unsearchable riches of Christ). He is who is says he is. Other religions and worldview may have some truth, but He is the Way, Truth and Life. (John 14:6) We all believe a “gospel” – but is it this one? Is it the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you amazed by this gospel?

8:14-17 Confirming the Gospel.

This is passage causes more confusion and debate than nearly any other passage in the Scriptures, in particular vs 16, “[the Spirit] had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Does the Spirit come at conversion or at some point subsequent to conversion? Entire denominations have formed around various answers to that question. I will try to answer this as clearly and succinctly as possible. There are many passages in the New Testament that say you get all of the Holy Spirit at the point of conversion. (1Cor12, Acts 2:38-39, Rom 8:9, Rom 8:14-16, 1Cor6:19, Gal3:2,14;4:6) But, there are two places in the New Testament where they didn’t get the Holy Spirit at conversion, including Acts 2 (prior to Pentecost) and, here, Acts 8.

So, why was the Holy Spirit not given when people believed in Acts 8? Some will say that these two exceptions describe the normal experience. In other words, the normal experience is to trust Jesus and then receive the Spirit at some other point, like the Apostles (on Pentecost) and the Samaritans (here). But, the most natural explanation is that this is a unique instance as it is the first occasion the gospel is proclaimed outside of Jerusalem and inside Samaria. An unprecedented situation demanded exceptional methods. Since the church was breaking new ground, apostolic confirmation was required.
Relatedly, though clearly different, it is crucial for us to confirm the true (vs false) gospel today.

Relatedly, though different in obvious ways, it is crucial for us to confirm the gospel today within Christianity. False gospels always leave something out. I’ll give you some examples:

• “Be Good or Else Gospel” = Moralistic Gospel based on fear and rules in order to discourage sin and encourage holy living. This often results in self-righteousness for rule-keepers and despair for those unable to live up.
• “Give-me-something-useful Gospel” = Pragmatic Gospel. This focuses on techniques, principles, steps rather than pointing people to the only thing that has the real power to change hearts and lives – Jesus.
• “Let’s-git-er-done-Gospel” = Activist Gospel. This gospel’s center is a political party, platform, agenda or cause, not Christ.
• “I hope I don’t offend you gospel” = Careful gospel. This is the “I don’t want to upset you so I’ll share a bunch of stories” gospel. There is no urgency. Yes, be careful, wise, gracious and winsome, but not too careful. The gospel without urgency is not the gospel. God commands all people everywhere to be saved. Today is the day of salvation.

 
Admittedly, all of these start with noble aspirations to help people. But, if God is not the center of the gospel, you have a distorted gospel.

Three practical ways you can confirm the gospel:
#1 Listen. Is it all there?
#2 Scriptures. Does it line up with what you find there?
#3 History. The gospel is not changing. It should be the same until Jesus returns.

If you spend enough time with Downtown Cornerstone, you’re likely to hear about our desire to be a gospel-centered church. What does that mean exactly? Practically, this means that we’re committed to:

• Reading and teaching the entire Bible in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (i.e. who God is, what He has done in human history through His life, death and resurrection, who we are, how we can know him, how we are now to live, etc.)
• Preaching the Gospel to believers and unbelievers. The Gospel is how you being and how you continue the Christian life. You become a Christian by repenting of sin (turning from it in heart, mind and deed) and trusting Jesus. And, you continue to grow as a Christian by continuing to repent and trust Jesus, day-by-day.
• Cultivating a culture marked by increasing Gospel astonishment.
• Cultivating an atmosphere of grace and serving as a safe place for seekers, skeptics, and those outside the faith. This itself is rooted in the idea that even while we were sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)

 
Developing disciples who don’t just know the doctrine of the gospel but love the person of Jesus Christ.

8:18-25 Committing to the Gospel.

Here, things go poorly for Simon. He sees people receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit at the hands of the Apostles and requests to buy the ability to do the same. Peter responds quickly and clearly to this request. There is some debate regarding whether or not Simon was a true believer or not. Everything here in this passage suggests that Simon has not experienced the redeeming and transforming work of Jesus. How could this be? Jesus himself tells us that is possible to have a sort of cognitive faith but not saving faith.

“Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord, wIll enter the kingdom of heaven…on that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you…’” Mt7:21-23

No one can only rest their faith on a past public profession or baptism or church attendance. Simon had all those things. We need those, but there’s something more. We should test ourselves. In the end what matter is not appearance, but your personal knowledge of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Christianity is not merely about a cognitive faith, but a committed faith. Do you know him?

Some questions to ask yourself:

• What part does Christianity play in my life? Does it control me? Is it the biggest thing in life or add on?
• Am I giving Jesus the minimum or maximum? Christians do the maximum, at least desire to do so, even though they often fail. Cognitive believers just do the minimum.
• Have I changed? Do I love Jesus and others more? Increasingly hate sin and see need for grace?
• Can I give the reasons for my hope in Jesus?
• Am I persevering? Heb 3:14 “We have come to share in X if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” What really matters is not only when you start following Jesus, but do you ever stop?

 
In the end. what matters is not appearances, but your personal knowledge of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Christianity is not merely a cognitive faith, but a committed faith/trust. Are you committed to Jesus Christ, by grace through faith?

Christianity is not an abstract theory, but about the living work of the living God in the living Savior, Jesus. What is the primary gospel you believe? Is it a magic gospel or the gospel of Jesus Christ? Your work or His? God is concerned for your souls. That is why he came. You cannot work to him, so he came for you, to die for your sin, in your place.Jesus took God’s wrath so you can experience God’s love. There is no other news this good. All others say try harder, do more, be better. Jesus, “it is finished”. This is what makes it the INCOMPARABLE gospel!
For gospel to spread in Seattle – and in our lives – we must clarify it, confirm it + commit ourselves to it. If we do that, He will build His church, He will draw all people to Him and He will use us for His glory in our city. We will be a movement of missionaries, armed w/ good news of gospel of Jesus Christ. We will have the great privilege of watching him build a great city, through the gospel, for His glory – and our good.

“A great man knows he is not God and the greater he is, the better he knows it. The gospels declare that this mysterious maker of the world has visited his world in person. The most that any religious prophet has said was that he was the true servant of such a being. But if the creator was present in the daily life of the Roman empire, that is something unlike anything else in nature. It is the one great startling statement that man has made since he spoke his first articulate word. It makes dust and nonsense of comparative religion.” GK Chesterton

Every January there is a flurry of blog posts and encouragement to make a plan for your personal reading of the Bible in the new year. That’s good. But, the reality is you may already be behind or too busy to come up with a plan. I can imagine the deeply skeptical among us already saying, “Well there’s always next year.” We’re only 17 days in! It’s never too late. The reality is that we can begin any time, but the dawn of a new year is a helpful starting point.

Why should I read my Bible?

Reading your Bible isn’t about just “reading your Bible”. To read your Bible is to listen and interact with God, which is why it is so important. When you read your Bible you learn about God (“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Ps16:11), Jesus (“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God…” Jn1:1), His promises (“I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Mt28:20), His Gospel (“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” Jn3:16), ourselves (“you were dead in your sins and trespasses in which you once walked..” Eph2:1), get encouragement (“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…” Ps23:1), learn about sin to avoid (“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you…” Col3:5), experience certainty (“it seemed good to me…to write an orderly accounr for you…that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” Luke1:3,4), learn of our future hope (“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…” Rev21:1) and MORE.

Is this just a form of brainwashing?

In a way, yes. Christianity says that, by nature and choice, our brains are dirty – and, thus, need to be washed with the Truth of God’s Word. The theological idea in view here is the noetic effect of sin. “Noetic” means “mind”. Sin clouds our ability to see, think and understand rightly. The Bible says we are darkened in our understanding (Eph4:18). But God “has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2Cor4:6). If we want to counter the noetic effects of sin, grow in Christlikeness, experience freedom from sin and enjoy the life God has for us it is vital to get the Word in us – not just get in the Word. It revives the soul, makes wise the simple, enlightens the eyes, and endures forever. (cf Ps19:7-11)

Where do I start?

First, get a good Bible.
No, really, for personal study and devotion you need a good Bible. There are a number of things to think through, including:

• Translation: For personal study, I recommend the ESV. The NASB, NKJV and NIV are also good options. There are three that I encourage you to avoid: Avoid the New Jerusalem Bible (Catholic) which includes some apocryphal writings, inserted after the canon was close. Also avoid the New World Bible as it is a translation created by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Lastly, avoid the NRSV which takes unfortunate liberties in the name of cultural engagement.
• Font: Is it comfortable to read for short and long stretches of time?
• Paper quality: The quality of the paper is important when it comes to highlighting, making notes, etc. Does everything bleed through or will it withstand the devotional onslaught of a Jesus-follower?
• Binding: You don’t want your Bible falling apart.
• Cover: Paperback is fine, but at some point you’ll want to upgrade to a nicer leather version because it will last longer – and smell better!
• Cross-references, maps, etc: You’ll also want to examine the cross-referencing system. Does your Bible have one? Maps? Concordance in the back to look up terms/words?

Second, if you’re a new Christian and/or new to the Bible, get an ESV Study Bible.
One of the best things I did as a new Christian was to get a study bible that helped explain the text, define terms and connect the dots. If you don’t have that help, you need it or you may grow discouraged along the way. If you’re constantly trying to define terms and figure out what’s going on, you’ll likely miss what God is trying to show you. A study bible can help with that and the ESV Study Bible is the best available, no question. If you don’t have the financial resources to purchase one, please let us know and we will ensure you are provided for.

Third, find a plan.
There is nothing that will keep you away from the Bible like not having a plan. If I don’t have a plan of some kind, its hard to know where to start. ESV has provided a number of different plans here. I also put together a plan that combines two of my favorites here. A healthy first goal is to read through the entire Bible in 1-2 years. It will help give you a sense of the storyline and how it all fits together. If at any point you don’t like you’re plan, you can always change.

Fourth, set a time and place.
Whether we like it or not, we are creatures of habit. We would never miss a meeting with the President of the United States, but we do with God all the time. Much of that is due to not having a particular time and place for it to happen – and then sticking with it. Look at your calendar and identify what is the best time to be with God. Consider it a form of tithing – tithing off the first fruits of your day. For me, that’s the morning. For others, that may be the evening. Personally, my primary devotional time is in the AM, separate from any sermon prep (though clearly that is devotional in nature as well) and end the day with a word from the Psalms – filling my mind with just a bit of truth before hitting the hay.

Fifth, record what you’re learning.
Your Bible reading will be transformed if you interact with the text in writing. The goal isn’t just to get in and out as quickly as possible. The goal is to get something from it, every time you go in. Get a journal, small notebook or use your computer. Write out the verse(s) that stand out to you every day and prayerfully write out a prayer to God based on that text. The Holy Spirit made it stand out for a reason. He’s personal like that. If you know you’re looking for at least one Word for the day from the Lord, it will make your reading come to life and will give it an added dose of expectancy.

Sixth, develop a note-taking system.
This isn’t as crucial, but it can be helpful. Did you know that you can write in your Bible? I thought that was sacrilegious as a new Christian. Star. Underline. Circle. Comment. Put dates next verses that are significant markers. Put names of friends and family next to verses that you’re praying for others. Right now I use a red pen for anything, from Genesis to Revelation, that deals with Jesus. I use blue for anything related to God, his Word and his character. I use purple for God’s promises and/or anything that provides encouragement and comfort. I use brown for sin and examples to avoid – avoid brown! I use green for anything related to God’s mission – sending, calling, proclaiming, etc. It really does make the Bible come to life and you’ll see connections you never saw before. But, what matters most is that you find something that works for you.

Seventh, read your Bible in community.
In other words, share what you’re learning with others. What is God convicting you about? How is he encouraging you? How is the gospel becoming more meaningful? There is nothing more sharpening than being in relationships where this type of honest, reflective sharing is taking place. Avoid the discussions that focus on Bible trivia, while emphasizing looking for how the text points to Jesus and his work. If you’re not in one, join a Discipleship Group, where this form of community and discussion take place. Talk to your community leader for more information.

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