We all spend a significant portion of life running, chasing down our own plans and desires. Like the biblical character Jonah, however, we eventually discover we’ve made a mess of things. And even in the mess, we keep running away from God. In Glorious Mess, we’ll discover how God’s relentless grace extends into all the messes we make in our lives. A line from one of my favorite songs says, “If God’s grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.” This faithful, loyal, undeserved love from God through the gospel of Jesus Christ pursues us, woos us, and changes us. We’ll realize that He can transform our mess into a “glorious mess” as we not only receive forgiveness, but also as we receive His direction and encouragement to live out and share His relentless grace with the people in our world who find their own lives in a mess.

You’re invited to join us May 20 – June 17 to discover how God can reveal His love no matter how far you’ve strayed. Here’s the line up for the series:

May 20 – Listening to God

May 27 – Running from God

June 3 – Crying out to God

June 10 – Seeing God Work

June 17- Embracing God’s Relentless Love

Throughout the series, we’ll reference Pastor Mike Howerton’s new book Glorious Mess. Mike is a personal friend, a powerful communicator, and a great pastor.

I’m looking forward to seeing you and your guests during this series. And I’m looking forward to seeing how God turns our mess into something glorious.

Use the button below to invite friends and family to the Glorious Mess series.

This past Sunday, as we continued in our Upside Down series, we discussed the idea of “Upside Down LEADERSHIP.” Taking our cues Jesus’ life and leadership as told in Philippians 2:5-11, we discovered that Upside Down leaders (anyone who wants to have an influence and impact) have three qualities:

1. Upside Down ATTITUDE of Humility
2. Upside Down APPROACH of Servanthood
3. Upside Down AGENDA of God’s glory

As you influence people and impact the world around you, are these qualities apparent in how you lead?

Here’s an example of extraordinary, upside down leadership from Northshore’s own Bob Wright (the chairman of our elder team).

For more resources on developing your leadership, visit the Leadership Development portion of my blog

What can and will you do to grow in your Upside Down Leadership?

]]> http://blogs.nsb.org/jonathanalexander/2012/05/upside-down-leadership/feed/ 0 http://blogs.nsb.org/jonathanalexander/2012/05/upside-down-economics/ http://blogs.nsb.org/jonathanalexander/2012/05/upside-down-economics/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 17:57:08 +0000 jonathan alexander http://blogs.nsb.org/jonathanalexander/?p=2925

This is my manuscript from a message preached on Sunday, April 29, 2012 at Northshore Baptist Church. Here’s the AUDIO of the message.

Randy Alcorn tells this story in his book The Treasure Principle

The streets of Cairo were hot and dusty. Pat and Rakel Thurman, friends of ours who were missionaries to Egypt, took us down an alley. We drove past Arabic signs to a gate that opened to a plot of overgrown grass. It was a graveyard for American missionaries. As my family and I followed, Pat pointed to a sun-scorched tombstone that read: “William Borden, 1887–1913.”

Borden, a Yale graduate and heir to great wealth, rejected a life of ease in order to bring the gospel to Muslims. Refusing even to buy himself a car, Borden gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars to [global] missions. After only four months of zealous ministry in Egypt, he contracted spinal meningitis and died at the age of twenty-five. I dusted off the epitaph on Borden’s grave. After describing his love and sacrifices for the kingdom of God and for Muslim people, the inscription ended with a phrase I’ve never forgotten: “Apart from faith in Christ, there is no explanation for such a life.”

The Thurmans took us straight from Borden’s grave to the Egyptian National Museum. The King Tut exhibit was mind-boggling. Tutankhamen, the boy king, was only seventeen when he died. He was buried with solid gold chariots and thousands of golden artifacts. His gold coffin was found within gold tombs within gold tombs within gold tombs. The burial site was filled with tons of gold. The Egyptians believed in an afterlife—one where they could take earthly treasures. But all the treasures intended for King Tut’s eternal enjoyment stayed right where they were until Howard Carter discovered the burial chamber in 1922. They hadn’t been touched for more than three thousand years.

I was struck by the contrast between these two graves. Borden’s was obscure, dusty, and hidden off the back alley of a street littered with garbage. Tutankhamen’s tomb glittered with unimaginable wealth. Yet where are these two young men now? One, who lived in opulence and called himself king, is in the misery of a Christless eternity. The other, who lived a modest life on earth in service of the one true King, is enjoying his everlasting reward in the presence of the Lord. Tut’s life was tragic because of an awful truth discovered too late—he couldn’t take his treasures with him. William Borden’s life was triumphant. Why? Because instead of leaving behind his treasures, he sent them on ahead.

Alcorn’s story exposes two vastly different and competing value systems as it relates to earthly resources and money. Years ago, the Wall Street Journal had a contest for the “Best Definition of Money.” Here was the winning definition: “Money is an article which may be used as a universal passport to everywhere except heaven, and as a universal provider of everything except happiness.” That’s profound, especially coming from the Wall Street Journal. So today, as we talk about “Upside Down Economics,” here’s the question I want to ask:

In Jesus’ upside down economics, how should we invest our earthly resources?

As we discuss this question, we’re going to explore a perplexing story from Luke 16:1-15. But we’ll discover that what Jesus has to say about Upside Down Economics is very interesting. So let’s read our story…

¹ Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. ² And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ ³ The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’ ⁵ And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ⁶ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He *said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ ⁸ And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. ⁹ And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.

¹⁰ “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. ¹¹ Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? ¹³ No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

¹⁴ Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. ¹⁵ And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.

Explanation

vv. 1-2. Jesus tells His disciples a story about a manager who is a steward of a rich man’s business and estate. The manager is not doing a good job. He’s “squandering” (literally “wasting”) the rich man’s money. So the rich business owner confronts the manager and tells him that’s he’s fired.

vv. 3-7. The manager, upon hearing that he’s losing his job, has a freak out moment, realizing that he’s not suited for anything else. He’s not fit to do physical labor, and he doesn’t want to end up destitute as a beggar. So he has a bright idea to secure his future. As he’s transitioning out of his job, he’s going to get in contact with his master’s debtors and reduce their debt so that he’ll earn favor with them. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll have compassion on him and give him a job. So he calls up the first debtor. “How much do you owe my master?” The guy replies, “100 measures of oil.” This is 875 gallons of olive oil, which comes from over 150 olive trees. It’s worth 1000 denarii, which is 3 years salary for average worker in the ancient world. The manager gives him a 50% reduction in what he owes. He calls the next debtor. “How much do you owe?” The guy owes 100 “measures” of wheat. That’s over 1100 bushels from over 100 acres of wheat. That’s worth 8-10 years salary for an average worker in the ancient world. It’s a lot of money. So the manager gives the guy a 20% reduction in his debt. Now you might be wondering how and why the manager is giving these discounts. There are a couple of different thoughts: (1) On his way out of the job, the manager undercuts his boss as a parting shot to spite him; (2) he removes the interest charge from the debt. In the OT law, the Jews were not to charge interest when they lent money. So perhaps the guy is trying to bring his master in line with the OT law; or (3) the manager removes his own commission and he’s sacrificing his own money, not his master’s. We’re not exactly sure which view is correct. The clear motive though is that the manager wants to create good will with his master’s debtors and business associates to secure his future.

v. 8. In a strange turn of events, the rich master actually praises the manager for acting shrewdly… for acting with wisdom and insight. And then Jesus adds this remark… if this “worldly” manager acted shrewdly and wisely as he thought about the future, why don’t followers of Jesus act with wisdom and insight as it relates to eternity because the eternal purposes we’re working towards are infinitely more important than any “temporal” future. Followers of Jesus are to be all about working for eternal purposes… not working for our eternal salvation, but doing everything we can in ministry and mission to make an impact for God’s kingdom as we make an impact in people’s eternal destiny.

vv. 9-13. After Jesus finishes the story, He elaborates on the meaning with three implications of using earthly resources for eternal purposes.

Implication #1 (v. 9) – God looks favorably on those who are generous with their earthly resources because they want to make an eternal impact.

Implication #2 (vv. 10-12) – Be faithful in the way you use your earthly resources regardless of the amount you have. If you are faithful with a little, it doesn’t mean that God will necessarily give you more monetary resources. But if you aren’t faithful and generous with what you have, why would He entrust you with more financial resources and responsibility?

Implication #3 (v. 13) – Be careful about the temptation of money and earthly resources and ensure that your heart is wholly and fully devoted to God and His eternal purposes and not your money and the temporal stability and pleasure you think it’s going to provide.

5. vv. 14-15. As the story closes, we discover that some Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders) were listening to Jesus’ conversation. And they scoffed and sneered at Him for what He just said because they were lovers of money. So Jesus confronts them and tells them that they are people who try to rationalize their greed instead of being generous with their resources. God could see their hearts and motives. Their greed and love of money was “detestable” in His sight. Be careful about allowing money take over your heart.

The Economics of Greed vs. The Economics of Generosity

Here’s what this story teaches us and calls us to do: Generously invest your earthly resources for eternal purposes. Much like that shrewd, wise manager, we’re to make wise decisions about the use of our finances because we can have an eternal impact in the lives of others. Jesus is ultimately talking about a contrast and choice between the Economics of Greed and the Economics of Generosity. Will we be lovers of money or will we generously invest our earthly resources for eternal purposes?

#1 As we talk about the Economics of Greed, it begins with an attitude that sees resources as ours. It’s our money. We worked hard for it. We can do whatever we want with it because it’s ours. Sure, we might give God some of it… we might occasionally tip Him and give some to the church or to a non-profit ministry, but at the end of the day, it’s still ours. And we’re managing it for ourselves. But the Economics of Generosity sees resources as God’s. We’re all stewards and managers of God’s resources. He owns it all. He even owns us. He’s given it to us to steward and manage for His purposes. If God is the owner, and we’re the managers, then we need to adopt a steward’s mentality toward earthly resources. He’s entrusted those resources with us, not given them to us. It’s the steward’s job to find out what the owner wants done and then carry out his will. That’s a vastly different perspective than the economics of greed that sees resources as our own.

#2 In the Economics of Greed, money controls our heart. This is why Jesus says that you can’t serve two masters… you’ll love and devote yourselves to one and hate and despise the other. We think that money is there to serve us, but when it controls our heart, we end up serving it. When I talk about money and greed, I’m not simply talking about the “love of money,” as though we’re all some miserly hoarders who sit in some dark room as gold coins run through our fingers with gleeful delight. Money also controls our heart when we have excessive anxiety about it. Now we’re hitting closer to home. When we worry that we don’t have enough of it… or when we constantly think about how we can get more of it to alleviate our financial concerns or to get the things we want. It controls our heart and it creates fear… fear that we’re not going to have enough… or if we do have “enough” (which we never do), we’re afraid that we’re going to lose it. But in the Economics of Generosity, as we wisely invest our earthly resources for eternal purposes, it changes our heart. Again, if we see that it’s all God’s anyway, we can be generous people who release our grasp on our finances and earthly resources.  And in that release, in that freedom, it changes our hearts. Pastor Chip Ingram puts it this way, “Where your money goes, your heart flows.” If your money all goes toward yourself, your heart follows. If you generously invest your money and earthly resources for eternal purposes, to advance God’s kingdom, to serve the world around you in Jesus’ name, where do you think your heart goes? Towards Jesus and towards His beautiful, upside down kind of life. Generosity changes our heart.

#3 Back to the Economics of Greed… when we see our resources as ours to be used for our own pleasure and purposes, it not only controls our heart, but it also disconnects us from people. A February 2012 Boston Globe article asked the following question: Does money change you? Here’s what the article said:

Here in the home of the American dream, most people are convinced that gaining a lot of money wouldn’t change who they are as people. As a mounting body of research is showing, wealth can actually change how we think and behave—and not for the better. [Money causes people to] have a harder time connecting with others and to show less empathy to the extent of dehumanizing those who are different from them. Money causes people to be less charitable and generous and less likely to help someone in trouble. If you think you’d behave differently in their place, meanwhile, you’re probably wrong: These aren’t just inherited traits, but developed ones. Money, in other words, changes who you are.

Research studies conducted by Kathleen Vohs, a professor at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, and her colleagues have found that even the mere suggestion of getting more money—a technique known as “priming”—makes people less friendly, less sensitive to others, and more likely to support statements like “some groups of people are simply inferior to others.” “If you win the lottery and you want to avoid becoming an insensitive lout,” there is a simple solution. One of the researchers summarized it this way: “Give at least half the money away.”

Now, of course it doesn’t have to be this way. We don’t have to allow money and earthly resources to disconnect us from people. In the Economics of Generosity, as we see our resources as God’s and as we generously invest our earthly treasure for His eternal purposes, it connects us to people. When we give generously toward God’s kingdom work and His eternal purposes, our heart not only flows toward God, but it also flows toward loving other people the way He loves them. When we give generously, we see the impact of our generosity in people’s lives.

When we give towards the ministry and mission of Northshore, we see the difference He’s making in people’s lives and it connects us to them more deeply. We hear stories about individual lives and families being changed by Jesus’ love and grace. We hear about people in our LIGHT ministry who are moving beyond their hurts, habits, and hang-ups and are now beginning to live in a place of life. We hear stories about people who’ve come to the Discovery class and are finding life-changing answers to their questions about Jesus and faith. We hear about people who came to our Easter services and it was the first time they’ve been in a church maybe ever or for a long time, and they experience love and warmth. We hear about families in financial crisis who’ve been helped our benevolence funds. We hear about low income families being served by ministries like the Mobile Medical Unit or the Bring:Give:Serve initiative over the Christmas season. We hear about how villages, cities, and even nations are being changed by our global mission efforts. It’s all about people and seeing them and loving them the way God sees and loves them. I could go on and on about the life-change that’s happening in and through the ministries and mission of Northshore… and it’s funded and empowered by your generosity. Generosity connects us to people… eternally.

So how are you going to live and invest your earthly resources? Will you choose the economics of greed or will you choose the economics of generosity?

Let me close with a quote by the famous pastor A.W. Tozer:

As base a thing as money is, it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted to food for the hungry and clothing for the poor. It can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal treasure can be transmuted into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.

Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality. Generously invest your earthly treasures for eternal purposes. See those earthly resources as God’s. As you give generously, you’ll see how it changes your heart and connects you more deeply with the people God loves. And together as a church, as we grow in generosity and live out Jesus’ upside down economics, we’ll have an extraordinary, eternal impact in our world for Jesus.

On Sunday, April 15 I preached a message called “Upside Down POLITICS.” One of the takeaways was to be informed and involved – biblically and politically. Biblically, think through what Jesus and the Bible have to say about all the issues we face… from the environment to the definition of marriage… from abortion to global wars… from poverty issues to immigration, learn what the Bible has to say and how it informs how you engage our political system. Politically, think deeply through the issues as well. Do research. Discover what’s really at stake.

Here are some recommended resources for further exploration. DISCLAIMER: even though I recommend these resources, I don’t agree with everything contained within. When you read, use discernment and critical judgment to come to your own conclusions. None of these resources are extreme left or extreme right. After each resource, I will put my personal “take” on whether they are “center, right of center, or left of center.”

Books:

Politics According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture – Wayne Grudem (right of center)

How to Change the World – James Davidson Hunter (center – a sociological analysis of evangelical’s political engagement to change culture)

Hijacked: Responding to the Partisan Church Divide – Mike Slaughter & Charles Gutenson (center)

Indivisible – James Robinson & Jay Richards (right of center)

The Myth of a Christian Nation – Greg Boyd (center to left of center)

News Sources:

The Economist – a British news magazine (center to left of center)

Real Clear Politics – a web-based news source (center to right of center)

Wall Street Journal (center)

WORLD Magazine – current news from a Christian perspective (right of center)

Christianity Today – addresses current events from an Evangelical perspective (center)

Be informed and involved. Exercise your right to vote. If you don’t vote, you have no room to complain about what’s going on in our world. In all of this, pray for the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and discernment as well as the unity of the body of Christ at Northshore and beyond. Above all, proclaim Jesus!

What books and news sources do you read?

This is a portion of my manuscript from a message preached on Sunday, April 15, 2012 at Northshore Baptist Church. Here’s the AUDIO of the message.

How has the message of Jesus been confused with a political platform or a political party? Is Jesus a Republican or a Democrat? Or is He an Independent or a member of the Green Party? What are the politics of Jesus? This is an important issue especially as we move into yet another politically charged election season. Politics are a volatile issue inside and outside of the church. Inside the church, right or left, how you vote often becomes a measure of your orthodoxy. Outside the church, our culture often views the church as “too political.” In a recent survey by the Barna Group, 75% of 18-29 year olds outside the church surveyed said that present-day Christianity is “too involved in politics.” And that perception, right or wrong, has impacted their view of Jesus.

Last week, we began a new 6-week series talking about how Jesus turns everything in our lives and in our world upside down. From our personal lives to our politics… from our ethics to our economy… from our leadership to our relationships, there is a new beautiful upside down kind of life that Jesus makes possible. And today we’re going to talk about “Upside Down Politics.” And here’s the question we’re going to explore…

What do Jesus’ upside down politics look like?

Now, let me tell you up front—we’re not going to talk about any specific issues in the current political debates. We’re going to focus on Jesus’ perspective of how we should view politics. And to help us do that, we’ll look at Mark 12:13-17 and then talk about 3 Don’ts of Upside Down Politics and 3 Do’s of Upside Down Politics. So let’s read our passage and see what Jesus has to say about Upside Down Politics.

¹³ Then they *sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. ¹⁴ They *came and *said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? ¹⁵ Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” ¹⁶ They brought one. And He *said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.

Here’s what’s led up to our passage today. Jesus entered Jerusalem, and then went to the temple to “cleanse” it. He drove out all the moneychangers and all the corrupt activity. Afterward He had two conversations with the Jewish leadership and called into question their authority and leadership.

v. 13. When we get to v. 13, some Pharisees and Herodians approach Jesus to ask Him a question. The Pharisees and the Herodians were at opposite ends of the political spectrum. The Herodians supported Rome, and the Pharisees couldn’t wait to have Rome leave Israel, their beloved Promised Land.

v. 14. And before they ask Him the question, they try to butter Him up with false flattery. They feign sincerity. And what they really ask Jesus is whether He’s a real revolutionary. They ask Him a question about the paying the “poll tax,” which is really a “head tax.” It was an annual tax of 1 denarius (one day’s wage) for the privilege of being a subject of Rome. When this head tax was put in place 25 years before, a man named Judas the Galilean led an armed revolt. He called all Jews to refuse to pay the head tax. As a result, He was caught and executed by the Roman authorities. So the Pharisees and the Herodians are trying to trap Jesus. If Jesus answers, “No, you shouldn’t pay the head tax,” He’ll get crushed by the Roman authorities. If He answers “Yes, you should pay the head tax,” He’ll lose the credibility with the people because He’s not revolutionary enough.

3 DON’Ts of Upside Down Politics

I am indebted to Pastor Tim Keller who preached a message called “Arguing About Politics.” His explanation of this passage and Jesus’ answer has shaped much of what I’m about to say. As Jesus answers, here’s the 1^st “don’t” of Jesus’ Upside Down Politics… the first thing He refuses to do….

1. Political Simplicity. They’re asking, “Should we pay the head tax or not? Which party are you in?” They set up a simplistic “yes/no” “either/or” situation. And Jesus refuses to answer their question the way they set it up. Think about Jesus and the disciples He chose for a moment. On one end of the spectrum you have Matthew the tax collector. He’s in league with the Roman authorities as he exacts Roman taxes from the Jewish people. And on the other end of the spectrum you have Simon the Zealot who wanted to take down Rome by violence and force. But what’s amazing is that these two guys both put aside their political perspectives to unite around something much bigger than themselves or even Rome. They united together around the kingdom of God, this beautiful upside down kind of life that Jesus made possible. We must not say, “This is Jesus’ political party.” Jesus wouldn’t do it, so why would we do it to Him? There are issues on both sides of the aisle that reflect Jesus’ heart and His kingdom. Jesus won’t be put in a box with political simplicity.

2. Political Complacency. As the dialogue continues, Jesus gives us the 2^nd Don’t of Upside Down Politics—Political Complacency. He asks somebody to give Him a denarius. The inscription on one side said “Tiberius Caesar, August Son of the Divine Augustus.” Jesus asks, “Whose likeness (lit. “image”) and inscription is this?” They reply, “Caesars.” And Jesus says, “Render (lit. “pay back what he deserves”) to Caesars what is Caesars and to God the things that are God’s” Caesar’s money has His image on it. His money was minted out of his wealth. You can give Caesar some of what he wants… his money. But you cannot give him what he ultimately wants—total allegiance to his system. You have to stand up to his injustice and his coercion. Jesus refuses political complacency. Jesus doesn’t say “No, don’t pay the tax” and start a revolt. But He also doesn’t say, “Yes, be nice citizens who do exactly what they’re told and who don’t rock the boat.” During Jesus’ day, there was a Jewish group called the Essenes. They dealt with injustice, corruption, and intractable social problems by opting out of the system. They went out to the desert and lived in the caves of Qumran (you’ve heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran). And they refused to pay their taxes because they had left the system. Jesus refuses to allow His followers to go the route of political complacency.

3. Political Primacy. The 3^rd Don’t of Jesus’ Upside Down Politics is Political Primacy. Give to Caesar only the things that have his image on it. But give to God your whole life and total allegiance because you have His image in you. When you join His kingdom and His way of doing things, you don’t depend and rely upon Political Primacy. You don’t depend and rely on the world’s system to accomplish God’s purposes. Let’s talk about two different kingdoms:

The Kingdom of the World. The political power structures of the kingdom of the world always are about a “power over.” Every revolution in the kingdom of the world never brings about real change because the values never change. They just re-arrange the furniture. When a new leader gets in power, they do anything to hold onto it. And when we as followers of Jesus rely on political primacy and the system of the kingdom of the world for the purposes of the kingdom of God, it never works out well because even Christians get enticed by the power. We become more like the world.

The Kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is always about a “power under.” Think about this. Jesus has to ask someone for a denarius. He doesn’t even have one. He’s a king without any financial resources. Listen to what Jesus says about His kingdom in John 18:36 – “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.’” The climax of Jesus’ kingship would not be when He got elected but when He got executed. Jesus isn’t bringing a “better” kingdom. He’s bringing a completely different kind of kingdom… a completely different vision for life. The kingdom of this world is all about changing behavior. The kingdom of God is all about changing the heart. Two vastly different visions. And when we rely and depend upon Political Primacy, the hope that politics will change everything, we’re choosing the kingdom of the world instead of the kingdom of God.

3 DO’s of Upside Down Politics

So what should we do as we engage in the political system… because again, Jesus refuses political complacency and apathy.

1. Be informed & involved. You need to be informed biblically and politically. Biblically, think through what Jesus and the Bible have to say about all the issues we face… from the environment to gay marriage… from abortion to global wars… from poverty issues to immigration, learn what the Bible has to say and how it informs how you engage our political system. Politically, think deeply through the issues as well. Do research. Discover what’s really at stake. Be informed and involved. Exercise your right to vote. If you don’t vote, you have no room to complain about what’s going on in our world. Be informed and involved.

2. Proclaim Jesus. Everything we are called to do as followers of Jesus is to ultimately point people to Jesus and His life and world-transforming hope. That’s the only way hearts and lives will ever really be changed. His is the only revolution that brings lasting change. Here we are, 2,000 years later, and we give names to our children like Peter and Paul and Phoebe and Lydia. And we call our dogs and cats Caesar and Nero. Our hope is not in a political party, platform or candidate. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. That’s our focus. We are on a mission to a broken world, calling people to turn away from building their own kingdoms and come to the God who can turn their lives upside down in a beautiful, powerful way. Be all about proclaiming Jesus.

3. Be gracious & respectful. As you have conversations with people of different political persuasions, be gracious and respectful. We do not live in a Christian culture, and if we are going to have any audience with people and influence upon them, we first need to listen, and then present our vantage point with grace and respect. Grace and respect communicates that you actually care about the other person. If you care more about your position than the person, you’ll lack grace and you’ll come across as disrespectful and you’ll have no influence for Jesus or for His Kingdom. As you engage, be gracious and respectful.

LEARNING TO BEAR THE CROSS WITH JESUS

Luke 23:26 – When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.

As we gather tonight for our Good Friday services, we will experience together the cross-centered life. We first gaze on Jesus’ cross. We revel in what He accomplished for us. But, we will also venture into the territory of our own cross-bearing.

What must it have been like for Simon of Cyrene on that Good Friday? What must it have been like to be a man minding his own business, attending to his own agenda, to have been seized by Roman soldiers and placed under the crushing weight of Jesus’ already blood-stained cross?

One short verse in Luke’s Gospel. One man whose memory would be forever seared with the image of the Christ on the way to His death. One life forever changed by the One who ultimately bore the cross for the sin of the world.

Here’s my prayer and hope for you tonight (and for the rest of your life): May you hear the life-transforming call of The Cross Bearer. May you gaze into the heart of God’s love knowing that “God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). May you come to know true freedom in yoking yourself with Jesus, knowing “Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10). May you expectantly walk with Him down the road of the cross-centered life.

Questions for Reflection & Prayer

What does it mean for me to pick up my cross and follow Him?

Where is Jesus calling me to die? Where is He inviting me to live?

Take a moment and pray for your worship experience at tonight’s Good Friday service.

JESUS, tonight as we gather to gaze upon Your cross, the tree where You bore the penalty and shame of our sins, might we more fully understand what it means. Might we understand what it means to now be free—free to walk with You down the road to the cross-centered life. Jesus, my Lord, tonight I long to meet with You. I long to be fully drawn into Your passion and suffering. But I also long to be drawn into the joy that was set before You as You endured the cross, as You despised the shame and as You looked toward the throne of heaven You would soon be seated upon with Your Father. Jesus, lead me down the beautiful, cross-centered road tonight. Thank You, Amen!

Download the Passion Week Devotional Guide

LONGING FOR A NEW WAY TO LIVE

Luke 21:5-6 – And while some were talking about the temple, that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive gifts, He said, “As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down.”

Imagine yourself at the temple in Jerusalem during the Passion Week. Imagine overhearing what Jesus says, “There will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down.” Do you understand how much this would startle you? The temple is the meeting place of God with His people. Year after year, you’ve come to this place to connect with Him. And now, everything changes. Jesus is talking about a spiritual revolution. Days from this moment, as Jesus breathes His last breath on the cross, the sacred veil leading to the Most Holy Place will be torn from top to bottom. The physical temple will no longer be needed. And now, you and I will become the dwelling place of God through His Spirit
(Ephesians 2:21-22).

We begin to put the pieces together. Six hundred years before, the prophet Jeremiah talks about this moment—this moment when God would put His Spirit inside of us, this moment when He would fulfill a new covenant. A new way to live. A new power to live the cross-centered life. A new vision for what life can look like with Jesus. As the pieces of God’s great promises fall into place, I pray that you would long for a new way to live. I pray that you would experience the power of the Spirit’s presence living in and through you. Because of the first Passion Week and Good Friday, which we celebrate tomorrow evening, everything has changed. There is a new way to live.

Questions for Reflection & Prayer

What would and can change in my life knowing that God the Spirit lives inside of me?

Where do I need the Spirit to empower and lead me today?

HOLY SPIRIT, produce Your beautiful fruit in my life today—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Show me the new way to live. Show me the joy of picking up my cross and following Jesus. Take control of my day today, every conversation, every meeting, every class, every quiet moment. Holy Spirit, today, lead me to a place of abundant life. I pray this because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, Amen.

Download the Passion Week Devotional Guide

SURRENDERING CONTROL OF YOUR HEART

Luke 20:45-21:4 – And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”

That final week of Jesus’ life before the cross, He reminds us of things most important. Several of those divine reminders contrast two ways to live. One way to live draws attention to ourselves and makes much of ourselves. It holds onto control of the heart because it doesn’t trust Another. The other way to live is fully and completely surrendered to Another.

One day while Jesus and His disciples are near the temple treasury, He draws their attention to the two ways to live. The rich approach the offering box and draw attention to themselves, making a big deal about how much they give and how pleased God should be to have them on His team. After they leave the treasury, a widow approaches and drops in two copper coins, all she had to live on. Two ways to live—keep control or surrender control. If Jesus truly is King and Lord and as such we’ve confessed the things that compete for our affections and allegiance, we next invite Him to take control. The only way to walk the road to a cross-centered life with Jesus is to surrender your heart, your affections and your allegiances to Him.

Questions for Reflection & Prayer

Where do I struggle with surrender? Why?

Think through the “spheres” of your life (personal relationship with Jesus, relationships with family and friends, work or school, ministry and mission). What would a fully surrendered life look like?

JESUS, I want to be like the widow who gave all. And I want to be this kind of person because I know that You gave all. Lord, You know the places where I struggle with surrender. I need Your vision for what a fully surrendered life can and will look like. In my relationship with You, in my relationships in my home and with friends, in my neighborhood, in my work or school and in my ministry and mission at Northshore, teach me what it means to fully surrender to You. Lead me down the road to a cross-centered life. In the name of the One who saves, Jesus, Amen.

Download the Passion Week Devotional Guide

CONFESSING THE THINGS THAT COMPETE

Luke 19:41-44 – When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

No sooner after the King enters Jerusalem on a humble colt is He weeping over the city. Yes, weeping. Jesus, God Himself, knows His heart for His people. For over a thousand years, He’s given His people a vision for who He is and who they are called to be in response. And as Jesus looks over the city, He is heart-broken because His people have sought and savored other gods to satisfy the hole in their hearts. Some believe that hope lies in the power of Rome. Some believe that strength lies in the power of a guerilla insurgency against the Roman forces. Some believe that rescue will come in religious performance and a work-based righteousness. And some have been consumed by decades of apathy. In that moment, as Jesus surveys His beloved people in the beloved city, He grieves over their choice of things that compete with His love and His lordship.

Yesterday, we began with recognizing Jesus as Lord and King of our lives. Even as we confess His lordship, we are aware of the other “lords” in our lives; the other gods who claim our allegiance, the other idols we look to for meaning, purpose and identity. Jesus weeps over our choice to go to them. If we are going to travel the road to the cross-centered life, we must confess the things that compete for our affections and our allegiances.

Questions for Reflection & Prayer

What are the things that compete for Jesus’ love and lordship in your life?

Remember, “idols cannot be removed, they must be replaced” (Tim Keller). How can you replace the idols in your life?

 LORD JESUS, today as I travel the road to a cross-centered life, thank You for Your amazing grace that invites me to confess my sin and idols. Lord, know my heart. Help me to see and give up the things in my life that compete for Your lordship. Today, I confess my idols. Free me of their control. Free me to be wholly and completely Yours. Free me to the uncluttered road to a cross-centered life. I want to love You with all of my heart, mind, soul and strength. For Your glory and for my good, I pray this in Your name, Amen.

Download the Passion Week Devotional Guide

Jesus Turns Everything Upside Down. The last will be first. The least will be greatest. Even death becomes life. From our personal lives to our politics, from our integrity to our economy, from our leadership to our relationships—Jesus changes everything. Come discover a new way to live—the beautiful, upside down kind of living Jesus makes possible.

This series began Easter Sunday, April 8. This is a great series to invite friends and family to. Here’s the line-up for the Upside Down series:

April 8 – Upside Down LIFE

April 15 – Upside Down POLITICS

April 22 – Upside Down INTEGRITY

April 29 – Upside Down ECONOMICS

May 6 – Upside Down LEADERSHIP

May 13 – Upside Down RELATIONSHIPS

I’m looking forward to seeing you and your guests during this series. And I’m looking forward to seeing how Jesus’ call turns our lives and our world upside down.