the way faith community

Spirit Filled Challenge

2014-04-01T23:49:00.001-05:00

At the close of the message on Sunday, I issued the “Be Filled With the Spirit” challenge. More than a challenge really, I issued the grandfather of all dares. I triple-dog dared my church to take Paul’s command to be filled with the Spirit seriously, and actually do what he said to do.

Our study of Ephesians had brought us to Paul’s instruction in 5:18-21. You can hear the message here. In summary, the expectation Paul laid out was to set the excessiveness of worldly pursuits aside and to drink excessively from God’s Spirit. Now, I am extending the challenge to you.

Are you willing to take the dare? I triple-dog dare you!

Be Filled With the Spirit Challenge

Set aside something; choose things you enjoy in excess. We can enjoy God’s creation; don’t hear me saying anything different. But, we can have too much it. What we can’t have too much of is God. What we need more of is Jesus. What we can pursue with radical abandon is the Holy Spirit’s influence, leading, and empowering.

Between now and Easter do this and come back and tell me if it wasn’t worth it and isn’t how you want to spend the rest of your life…

Set aside your regular music, fill your mind with music with Christian lyrics and Gospel centered messages.
Spend time every day meditating on the message or the word of Christ.
Read every day from the Psalms
Get together with your family in Christ and talk to one another about it, sing the songs together, worshiping and leading one another to worship our great God.
Set aside time every day to consider what you have to be thankful for, and I am not just talking about the easy things. I am talking about the sanctifying and difficult things that lead you to greater dependence on Jesus. I am talking about the difficult removal of things that cause you to see God’s sovereign glory, as well as the easy things. I am talking about the things that remind you of what you actually deserve (condemnation, punishment, death), and what you have actually been given (acceptance, approval, life).
Turn your attention away from what you want selfishly and start considering the needs of others more important than your own; give yourself up for the people around you.

I am confident that, when we set aside the excessive life of the world and fill our lives with the things of God, we won’t be disappointed. He will do what only He can do, He will fill us, influence us, lead us, and empower us.

Let me start the conversation by letting a Christian brother speak to you with his powerful and poetic praise to Jesus our King. I have listened to this song a number of times, but today, as I meditated on the Gospel, it played and it was like I heard it for the first time. Listen to it, closely, don’t get lost in the music, the words are true and powerful, and the reason we have hope for our future. Jesus didn’t just come to suffer as our Savior, he came to establish His eternal throne, He is the King of Glory!

Matt Papa The Song ofAn Angel (Who Is This King)

Psalms 24:1-10 (ESV)
¹The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,
²for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.
³Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?
⁴He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.
⁵He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
⁶Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
⁷Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
⁸Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!
⁹Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
¹⁰Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah

Sunday Morning Missionary Part 10

2014-03-07T09:44:00.000-06:00

Where Do We Go From Here

Sermons can be powerful and emotional in the moment they are preached. But their effectiveness can really only be seen in the days and weeks that follow. Certainly, God will use words to bring about immediate heart change, but that can truly only be discerned in time. So for Sunday Morning Missionaries, the response to our time together is just as important as the time together.

One of the most compelling stories in the New Testament occurs in Acts Chapter 2. In response to having met and spent time with the risen Lord, Peter and Jesus' other followers (about 120 of them) are gathering regularly to pray. At one point when they were together, the Holy Spirit descended on them, indwelt them, and empowered them. The Spirit's arrival drew so much attention that people from across Jerusalem gathered around the place Jesus' followers were meeting. For many of them, this would be the first day of their new life. What they witnessed and what they heard would have such a profound effect on them that the course of their lives would forever be altered.

Jesus' followers were proclaiming God's powerful works, but what made it most astonishing was that as they spoke, everyone that gathered around heard it in their own native language. Not only were they hearing about God's powerful and majestic works, they were witnessing it firsthand. Some of the people in the crowd tried to deny what they were seeing. They tried to say Jesus' followers were drunk. But, who ever heard of wine giving you the ability to speak clearly or coherently in multiple languages at the exact same time? This was obviously God's work.

From among Jesus' followers, Peter steps forward and in spite of the accusations preaches the first Gospel message. Fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, Peter proclaimed Jesus' eternal identity, His sacrificial death, and His resurrection. His message is easily summarized by Acts 2:36, "Let all of the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

When Peter quit preaching, God didn't quit working. The Spirit used Peter's words to affect a deep response in those listening. The Scripture says, "When they heard Peter's words, they were cut to the heart, and asked, 'What shall we do.'" They wanted to know, how to respond to this truth that they had just come to understand. Peter's answer called them to a life marked by what they now believed about Jesus. We know their response was genuine, because as chapter 2 closes in verses 42-27, Luke writes of the devotion of these new believers.

As a preacher, I pray regularly for the Holy Spirit to anoint my words, and ask that they be inspired like Peter's words were inspired. I ask that He not quit working when I quit preaching. I pray that every person I preach to be cut to the heart and desperate to know how to respond. I pray that those that attend our church picking and choosing what they want like they filtering through clothes on a department store rack are so radically affected by God’s truth and grace that they cannot be the same. I pray they are empowered to respond like those earliest believers in the Gospel message because they are so moved by God’s power and presence that they want to direct all of their life to bring glory and honor to the Creator who chose to be their Savior. I pray that even those who have grown and become Sunday Morning Missionaries are sent out as Everyday Missionaries.

The Sunday Morning Missionary came to church to worship by serving others and to model Gospel power so others might hear this great news. She comes to join with her family united in Christ and empowered by the Spirit to offer up authentic heartfelt worship to our awesome God while encouraging others to do the same. He came to sit under the teaching of God's authoritative and life changing Word, to hear from God, to be sanctified by God’s truth and exhorted by His grace. Together they now come to the moment that awaits us all when brought face to face with the great news of God’s work in Christ for us, "Where do I go from here? What do I do now?"

Like Peter and the entirety of the Scripture, my answer is to live in faith; trust Jesus and act accordingly. Sunday Morning Missionaries long to know, what now, because they know they are about to be Sunday Afternoon Missionaries, Work Place Missionaries, and Neighborhood Missionaries. When Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you,” He was defining for us what the entirety of our lives is to look like, and how our worshipful response to His truth should look. Everywhere we go, everything we do, every circumstance living for opportunities to worship and glorify God by leading others to worship and glorify God.

Where do we go from here? We step into the next moments and circumstance of our life with this one singular motive, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31)” You see, Sunday morning isn’t the only time we are called to worship on mission. We worship by living out His mission in faithful, obedient, Gospel motivated response to His truth Sunday through Saturday, 24/7/365.

Sunday Morning Missionary Part 9

2014-03-07T09:34:00.002-06:00

Preach The Word

2 Timothy 4:1-3 (ESV)
¹I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living
and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
²preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke,
and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
³For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having
itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,

Participation in the worship gathering doesn’t end with the music. Paul’s instruction doesn’t just have implications for the preacher, but also those who receive the preaching. Preaching sound doctrine must be heard to be effective. Without hearers of the word the preacher cannot truly preach. But together, we glorify God as preachers proclaim God’s word and hearers listen to be reproved, rebuked and exhorted by sound doctrine.

To reprove is to convict someone of what they have done wrong. When the scribes and Pharisees brought the woman caught in adultery before Jesus (John 8:1-11), His response reproved or convicted them of their own sin. “’He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.’ And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the eldest, even unto the last” (John 8:7-8a ESV). By the preaching of God’s word, the hearer should be able to identify their sin and therefore recognize their need of a Savior.

The word translated rebukemeans to admonish strongly, with urgency, and authority. Jesus rebuked demons (Mark 1:25) when He cast them out of people, a storm when He commanded it to stop (Mar 4:39), and even a follower like Peter when necessary (Mar 8:33). The intent in Paul’s command to Timothy is to not only convince people of their sins, but to command them to stop their rebellion.

By themselves, these first two might come across as harsh and cruel, but preaching is not complete without exhortation. To exhort is to encourage or to spur on. Just as John the Baptist did when he preached the Gospel. While reproving and rebuking may highlight our failures, exhorting encourages us to recognize the grace of God in Jesus Christ. It reminds us that our righteousness, our holiness, our forgiveness, and salvation are secure in Him, and encourages us to pursue Him more fully.

When the word has been preached those that have heard should have a larger and higher view of God. They should have a fuller view of His majesty and holiness, and a greater respect for His grace and mercy; thereby being made ready to live all of life in response to His great work on their behalf.

There is no room for substitutes. What we don’t need is more self-help, motivational, find the power within yourself ear-ticklers. Jesus told His disciples, “The one who hears you hears me” (Luke 16:10). Martin Luther held that preachers were the “mouthpiece of God. He said, “The Creator of heaven and earth speaks with you through his preachers. John Calvin taught, “He (God) deigns to consecrate the mouths and tongues of men to His service, making His own voice to be heard in them. Henry Bullinger wrote in the Second Helvetic Confession, “Preaching the word of God is the Word of God.”

What responsibility this adds to the preacher and his own preparation. Not just in his study and understanding of the Scriptures, but also in his own life, that as he approaches the pulpit he is ready by God’s grace to proclaim God’s word that God’s people might hear God’s voice. But, make no mistake; the responsibility does not just fall to the preacher, but also to the hearer. For how can one preach to another who is so distracted by the worries of life that she can’t pay attention, or whose pursuit of happiness has left him so tired that he cannot stay awake, or who quenches the Spirit and denies the truth.

Sunday Morning Missionaries don’t quit worshipping because they quit singing. They continue worshipping as they meet Jesus in the Word. They bow their hearts in humble adoration as they are confronted with the truth and restored by His grace. Sunday Morning Missionaries worship as they confess their sin and rely on the forgiveness of their Savior. Sunday Morning Missionaries worship as they eagerly submit themselves to God’s word that they might be renewed and made ready to live in a manner worthy of their calling.

Sunday Morning Missionary Part 8

2014-02-07T10:51:00.003-06:00

Our Time Together

If the average church worship gathering lasts 90 minutes (that’s actually on the long side) that translates to less than 1% of our time each week. Assuming we never miss a week over the course of a year, we will have spent 78 of our 8760 hours worshipping together with other Christians. Of course, this doesn’t account for other weekly Bible studies, or missional projects that we gather for. In addition, there is any number of ways that we can worship all week long, even when we are alone. But, this does emphasize just how limited our time together is, and how important it is that we not take it for granted or waste it.

As many times as the church gathers throughout the week or a person worships privately, most of these will not have such intentional focus as our Sunday morning gathering. When we gather in homes over meals or Bible study, fellowship and discipleship are most often the modes of worship. Movie nights for school kids, feeding the homeless, even evangelizing the lost all provide great opportunity to serve and honor God. But, there are few other times the church gathers with such an intentional vertical focus together. At The Way, we take this seriously.

Not only are we being selective about the songs we sing, but we are also being very particular about how we use our time together. The methodology has changed as the church has changed, but we are no less intentional today than we have ever been about our time in worship. As we strive to organize each worship gathering, we strive to fill it with Gospel proclamation and opportunity for each person to respond to God’s life giving grace.

This perspective informs everything we do. There is no moment of our time together, that your leaders have not considered in light of our first priority. For example…

We are a Gospel centered church. That means we exist because of the Gospel and are motivated by the Gospel. So, as we gather, we seek to proclaim God’s message of grace and life (the Gospel) over and over. The songs we sing proclaim the Gospel. The sermons preached proclaim the Gospel. Even the liturgy we follow, (A.C.T.S.) encourages us to respond faithfully; as we ADORE the Creator that became our Savior, CONFESS our sin and need of His salvation, THANKHim for the work He did on our behalf, and offer up prayers of SUPPLICATION (requests for His continued work) on each other’s behalf.
We haven’t always taken Communion every week. Since we have, our time together has become that much more precious. We strive to proclaim the Gospel in our music and in our teaching as we seek to emphasize God’s unmerited good work on our behalf through Jesus’ sacrifice. But there are few words that paint a picture as clear as the observance of Communion. Each week as the sermon closes, our time together comes to the pinnacle when we are reminded what Jesus did so that God the Father could offer us so much so freely.
Another example, we want families to be able to worship together, and we want parents to be able to model corporate worship for their children. So, we love that parents keep their children through the first part of the song service. However, we also recognize the importance of each person being able to respond without distraction. So, we sing more than one song after the preaching and encourage parents to let us serve them by keeping their children in KidsWay.
One last example is passing offering plates during our time of response. Previously we would just accept tithes and offerings in the offering box at the back of the sanctuary. But, by actually passing plates during this specific time in the service, we emphasize our giving as an act of worship and not something that is just done without thought. Rather, it is an intentional act of worship in honor of the God who saved and to facilitate His mission in the world. You may give online but, passing that plate to the person beside you gives you opportunity that what you give is just as much an act of worship as those putting cash or checks in the plate.

Intentional plans are imperative in order for us to use our limited time as wisely as possible, but they won’t accomplish anything without intentional participation.

Your Part To Play

Do you remember how A.W. Tozer compared Christian worship to piano’s that are all being tuned to the same tuning fork? Regardless of the songs we choose or the detailed attention given to each moment of our time together, one final component has to be fit into place, your intentional participation. Showing up and checking a box on our list of tasks for the day, doesn’t do it. Following the crowd around you, standing when they stand, sitting when they sit, half-heartedly singing along, and even begrudgingly taking Communion, or putting money in an offering plate out of guilt aren’t the same as intentional participation.

God is going to be glorified, His name will be praised, regardless of what we do. There will come a point in which every, not some, but every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. But, until that day comes, Sunday Morning Missionaries recognize their opportunity to willfully respond to God in worship because of the Gospel.

Sunday Morning Missionaries intentionally take part. They celebrate together in worship, they give generously, and they observe Communion gratefully, because they know this is the mission. Sunday Morning Missionaries know that God gave us the Gospel to reconcile our relationship to Him so that we could receive good gifts from Him and offer real honest worship to Him. Evangelism exists to facilitate worship. Discipleship exists to facilitate worship. Ministry exists to facilitate worship. While these are modes of worship in themselves, the Sunday Morning Missionaries know that to take part in God’s mission, we must also at times intentionally set aside time to worship Him together. As we do this God is gloried, we receive His blessings, and those among us who don’t know Him are shown Him.

This Sunday morning whether you sing as loud as the person next to you, or whether or not you raise your hands or clap, let me encourage you to live for this moment in the mission. Come ready, come willing, come with specific intention to direct your body, mind, heart, and soul to honor God in the way He deserves. After all, this is what He created and saved you for, His glory and your good.

Sunday Morning Missionary Part 7

2014-01-17T13:17:00.000-06:00

Sing, Sing, Sing

Ephesians 5:18-19 (ESV)
¹⁸And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
¹⁹addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and
making melody to the Lord with your heart,

Something special happens when we sing in worship together, maybe even more special than any other moment we share as Christians. Maybe that’s why God reserved more pages in His Scriptures for a book full of songs than anything else. In the book The Pursuit of God A.W. Tozer wrote,

“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”

As we join in singing together we are being tuned to the same fork. Our attention is being drawn away from ourselves and being united with those around us to our tuning fork, Jesus Christ. In these moments of song we are praying prayers of adoration and praise, confessing our sin and our need for Him, proclaiming our faith and the Gospel to each other, and encouraging one another to believe it.

When we sing together in worship, Jesus is our tuning fork and He unites us around Himself. Does this mean we should only sing together, or that singing is the only way we can be unified in worship together? Absolutely not! Does it mean that we should skip prayer and preaching to sing? Of course not! But it should highlight how important the songs we choose and these moments together are, and how important it is for each of us to participate.

The Songs We Sing

Singing together in worship is a distinctly Christian activity. You can sing along with others to your favorite song on “secular” radio or at a “secular” concert. But even then, those songs cause you to consider your own life and your own dreams and desires. But, when Gospel centered, Scripturally saturated, theologically accurate, and Jesus exalting songs are sung by a people who have been made spiritually alive together by the Holy Spirit something transcendent takes place.

It is unfortunate that in today’s Christian culture, our corporate singing and song choice has been riddled with such controversy and is now dominated by discussions of style and personal preference. Music has caused such division that local churches actually split over it. It got so bad that the name “Worship Wars” was coined. In an article Gordon MacDonald wrote in 2002 he observed, “For many young people choosing a church, worship leaders have become a more important factor than preachers. Mediocre preaching may be tolerated, but an inept worship leader can sink things fast.” While culturally speaking, churches, and Christians for that matter, are in a better place, I can tell you, as one who has had numerous conversations with people looking for churches, musical style or performance and personal preference are still being idolized.

At The Way, we don’t ignore musical style all together, and it is not that we don’t care if a song is sing-able. In the world we live, these have to be considered. But, musical style will never be the highest priority as we choose songs or arrange worship gatherings. If we are defined by our style more than the content, we have missed the point. We are not striving to simply provide a cool experience, but are striving to tune each heart to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We a

re confident that when we do, this is the only experience that will provide any level of satisfaction. So our songs are chosen and arranged intentionally each week with that in mind.

Before we consider style, tempo, or even our own personal preferences for a song we sing together it must meet 4 criteria.

Gospel –Centered– the Gospel is our only hope and the motive for our living. On his blog Joe Thorn puts it like this, “to be gospel-centered means that that the gospel - and Jesus himself - is our greatest hope and boast, our deepest longing and joy, and our most passionate song and message. It means that the gospel is what defines us as Christians, unites us as brothers and sisters, changes us as sinner/saints and sends us as God's people on mission. When we are gospel-centered the gospel is exalted above every other good thing in our lives and triumphs over every bad thing set against it.”
Theologically Accurate – we aren’t opposed to artistic language and metaphor. But, if a song blatantly opposes what the Scripture teaches about God, His identity, or His work of redemption and restoration, we will not sing it no matter how catchy or popular it is. Just because 99.5 Hit FM or 88.3 The Wind will play it on their radio station, doesn’t mean we should sing it in the church.
Scripturally Saturated – This doesn’t mean that we only sing scripture set to song. But, the doctrines of God’s word should be readily apparent in them. For example, one of my favorite songs that we have sung is All I Have Is Christ by Sovereign Grace Music. Doesn’t just define God and His work, but also clearly agrees with the biblical perspectives of who we were apart from Jesus.
Jesus Exalting – There is a perspective that if we sing songs that focus on us personally, we are not exalting Jesus. But, when these first three criteria have been met, there is great joy and encouragement as we think about the implications of the Gospel in our lives. The psalms are full of these expressions of God’s work on a person’s behalf. So, as we sing How He Loves, we can only exalt ourselves as those loved by God when we exalt Him for His work for us through Jesus.

What we are singing together matters and Sunday Morning Missionaries come ready and longing to sing and tune our hearts to Him in song together. In fact, there aren’t many things that would keep us from it.

Sunday Morning Missionary Part 6

2014-01-17T13:06:00.001-06:00

Big Church

To this point, our focus has been directed to those moments of the Sunday morning worship gathering before the service actually begins. Hopefully, you sensed how important it is that we each strive to be very intentional in our efforts to love one another, express hospitality to visitors, and serve one another as we gather. But as important as those moments are before the service, the Sunday morning gathering is more than just another opportunity for the church members to spend time together. We set this time aside to specifically worship God together through unified singing, the preaching of His Word, and the observance of His sacraments. Just as each of us have a significant part to play before the service; we each play an important part throughout the service as well.

I remember as a child not wanting to go to “big” church. I don’t know if anyone else ever referred to the church service this way. But we called it “big” church because all the adults or big people went there, and kids under a certain age would do something else. My lack of desire to go to “big” church didn’t sway my mother’s mind though. I definitely sat through my fair share of Sunday morning church services. It seemed so boring, and it was so difficult to sit still for so long. It wasn’t the singing I had a problem with, I actually enjoyed that. During the singing we got to move around and we didn’t have to be so quiet. But once the preacher took the stage a most intense internal struggle to sit still began.

In our over-stimulated world, it’s not just children that struggle with this anymore. Church leaders everywhere are doing all kinds of crazy things to “spice” up their services to make them more engaging. This is not always a bad thing, there is a reason some churches have been referred to as “the frozen chosen.” There should be a sense of joy and celebration as we gather. But, it isn’t hard to go too far in the other direction and allow our antics to take center stage. @celebritypastor recently posted, “My usher team got all huffy when I asked them to wear reindeer costumes today. Their hearts are two sizes too small.” When the most memorable moment in a worship service is not an encounter with the living God, but rather the cool lighting effects, or the pastor swinging in on a rope, or ushers dressed like reindeer, a line has been crossed.

Methodology and the use of technology are never the ultimate answer to bringing life to the church service. We’ll never get past our boredom in church, until we quit going for a reason other than seeking Jesus. I was in my late twenties the first time I went to church because I wanted to go. But once I learned that the service wasn’t a spectator sport, everything changed. When I sought Jesus, good songs became great songs, good preaching became great preaching, church services went from being a duty to a delight. When I began seeking Jesus’ face, the style of music didn’t matter, I put less pressure on the preacher to perform, and I always left fulfilled knowing I had been with God’s people in God’s presence.

Remember, what Paul wrote to the Corinthians, whatever we do should be done to His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). It should be done with Him as the central motivating factor. Everything else is just a simple methodology that will bring no fulfillment or bear any spiritual fruit. It may feel good for the moment, but If Jesus and His Father’s glory are not the main goal of the service those good feelings fade and leave us empty handed.

At The Way, we are not often polished with a lot of frills. But, the leadership strives to ensure Jesus is clearly exalted, and His Gospel message is proclaimed repeatedly each time we are together. Each song is chosen and placed in order intentionally. The sermons are intended to not only explain the Scripture, but also to help us see how the Gospel is the answer. Each week we observe communion, not because it’s a cool tradition, but because it emphasizes even our response is in light of the finished work of Jesus on the cross and the hope of His resurrection. But, no matter how hard the church leadership works, there is still a necessity for the members to come as a people on mission. To pull off life-giving, heart-changing worship gatherings takes us all of us doing our part.

For the Sunday Morning Missionary the worship gathering is not just another stop on the weekly itinerary. Sunday Morning Missionaries come to church with their hearts prepared and ready to worship Jesus together. Sunday Morning Missionaries don’t passively hear the sermon, but listen intently for God’s voice from His Word. Sunday Morning Missionaries come seeking Jesus because they know nothing else satisfies. Sunday Morning Missionaries come knowing that this is one of God’s blessings that equip them to be missionaries Monday through Friday.

Sunday Morning Missionary Part 5

2013-11-15T11:09:00.001-06:00

Serve One Another

¹⁰As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
1 Peter 4:10 (ESV)

The night that Jesus was arrested didn’t begin in a garden, but the upper room of a house. That dinner was no ordinary one, it was full of surprises. Jesus, revealed that one of his closest followers was a traitor, and when He passed the bread and wine He compared it to the sacrifice He was about to make on our behalf. Maybe one of the most shocking and memorable moments was when He knelt in front of His disciples and washed their feet. The job of the lowliest servant, and Jesus took it upon Himself to serve these men in this way. Then, he encouraged them to serve each other in the same way. It was this expectation of the Christian’s life that Peter now passes on in his letter. In light of what Jesus had said to him years earlier on that night that was forever seared into his memory, Peter commands Christian’s to not just be vessels of grace, but conduits through which God’s grace flows.

There are three key factors here that should be highlighted. The first is from the opening phrase of the verse, “As each has received a gift.” It establishes a condition for us, that can’t be ignored. Peter doesn’t want his readers to serve out of their own power, but rather in the way they have been gifted. The word gift is translated from the Greek word charisma. It is related to the Greek word that is translated grace. So, Peter is literally writing, “As each has received a gift of grace.” This is more specific than the grace God extends to save us. It is rather a supernatural grace that each member of His body is given in order to edify other members of the body. In the verses that follow, Peter specifically calls out teaching (meeting a spiritual need) and serving (meeting physical needs). Each of at different points have been blessed spiritually and physically by God, and now are able to share those blessings with His people, for His purpose.

The second key point comes at the end of the verse, “As good stewards of God’s varied grace.” God’s grace is not limited to one form. His grace meets us at every point of need and is able to provide satisfaction. As recipients of God’s grace, we are now stewards of it. He empowers us with it, and meets our needs. When we find victory over certain struggles it is not because we figured something out, But because we have received God’s grace. When we gain insight into God’s word it isn’t because we are smarter than someone else, but rather because God bestowed His grace on us. Every good gift comes from above, and while God does want you to enjoy these gifts, they are not intended for you alone. Maybe the reason we find so many people struggling even within the church is not because God has not provided for that need, but because God's people are not managing the provision of His grace well.

The third key point comes from the center of the verse, “Use it to serve one another.” This gives us instruction on how to manage what God has given us. The fruit of God’s grace in our lives was never meant for us alone, but rather intended to bless and edify His church. The reality is His intended target for giving you grace, may not have ever been you. But, just as you have been served by Jesus, you are called to serve others. He humbled himself into the form of a servant so that we might now be served. As each has received God’s gift of grace, use it to serve one another, as good managers of God’s many forms of grace.

I often wonder how different the church in America would look if we each took our role in it seriously. I think we face our current struggles, not because we need more of something, but because we aren’t stewarding all of God’s gracious gifts well. I am convinced that the trouble in the church of America is not that we need more programs or better marketing. But rather, that we need more Christians willing to let God’s grace flow through them as freely as it came to them.

Would those of you that are reading this, and feeling burned out or as if you have no energy, be feeling that way now? If you were experiencing God’s grace through the conduits of all of His people that He has placed around you, I am confident that we would be much better off. Not only would we be receiving the blessing of serving others, but we would be being served as well. In addition, the church that gets this right would shine like a light in a dark room, and it would draw everyone’s attention, and our God who bestowed this grace on us would be greatly glorified.

The call to be a Christian is not a call only to be saved, but also to be an agent of God’s mission of redemption and restoration. What better place to begin your work than when His people are gathered. Sunday Morning Missionaries aren’t attending church to check it off a list, or to get what they can and leave the rest. They are not attending church like they are shopping at Wal-Mart. Instead, they show up to bestow God’s grace on others in the same way that they have received it. They join teams to serve, not because they are asked, but rather because they want others to enjoy God’s goodness in it’s various forms. Sunday Morning Missionaries are not seeking to horde the wealth of God’s goodness, but rather to spend it well so that it encourages, strengthens, grows, and advances His Kingdom.

How have you experienced God’s grace? How are you using to bless others?

Sunday Morning Missionary Part 4

2013-11-15T11:04:00.001-06:00

Show Hospitality Without Grumbling

⁹Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
1 Peter 4:9 (ESV)

Hospitality, at least in this instance, is how we act towards strangers. It is often misunderstood to be applied to those we know. However, this is something intentionally focused on those we don’t know. The original word translated as hospitality is literally translated “love strangers” or “be generous to guests.”

This is not a new concept for the church. God has expected His people to "love strangers" or "be generous to guests" ever since He declared a people to be His own. The Israelites were commanded to treat strangers as if they were native born Israelites. (Lev 19:33-34). In the New Testament the writer of Hebrews says not to neglect hospitality for some have entertained angels unaware (Heb 13:2). Paul demonstrates hospitality to be a mark of maturity as he included it in both of his lists of qualifications for Elders (1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8). But, he also commands it as a result of the work of grace in each of us (Rom 12:13).

Not only should our meetings be markedly different because of the genuine love we are showing one another, but because we are going the extra mile to treat strangers as if they are family.

I can tell you this makes a difference, especially in a church like The Way. When we don't act hospitably, it is very noticeable. There are plenty of success stories, but there are plenty of missed opportunities as well. I will always be deeply moved by the story of a young lady that visited on a Sunday Morning after visiting a community group and yet no one, no one from the community group and no one else in the church, said one word to her when she came that Sunday morning.

We are a collection of close nit groups. As a result of our Community Group model, there are automatically little cliques that develop. We shouldn't need to apologize for this, it is a biblical model. Of course, we are more comfortable talking to the people we are close with. However, the call to hospitality demands that these cliques don't become unhealthy, but always allow others to belong just as deeply as you do.

The most telling part of Peter's command may be that we are to do this without grumbling. We are expected to do this not just because we have been coerced or commanded, but because we want to treat others as our God in heaven has treated us. It certainly says something about us if we are unable or unwilling to extend ourselves so that others can experience God's goodness through our church. But, let me assure you, it isn't revealing anything good.

In the interest of organization and intentionality, like many other churches, we have developed a ministry team whose purpose is specifically intended to get the "hospitality ball" rolling. They greet people at the door, and give direction and set expectations for the day. They show up early brew coffee, set out refreshments, and make sure the building is ready to host guests. But, once a person is past the doors and sipping coffee the responsibility to engage and ensure each person feels welcome and important falls to every member and regular attender. Peter doesn't relegate hospitality to those gifted by the Spirit to do it, but rather presents it as the responsibility of every member of the church.

In a context like ours, where the Sunday morning gathering, is almost always the first live contact we have with prospective members, Sunday Morning Missionaries are able to find great influence as they recognize that hospitality may start with a smile and handshake at the door, but is really woven into the whole scene. And, they are an integral part of tearing down the barriers built by the language we use, the closeness of existing relationships, the style of worship, and the awkwardness because of the insecurities we all struggle with. They recognize that as a church family, we don't have to use Sunday mornings primarily for ourselves, but that especially during the portion of our gathering before and after the music, they have great opportunity to sacrifice of themselves to make strangers feel as if they have always been a part of our church. We may not actually succeed in making every person feel welcome, but Sunday Morning Missionaries strive to do their part.

Think back to the first time you walked into one of our gatherings, or another church for that matter. It is intimidating and for some it is downright scary. How about the second and third time you came in, was it any less important that you feel like you belong? Of course not.

Imagine a church family that doesn't allow itself to be so introverted on Sunday morning that guests come and go without being engaged by someone. Imagine a church whose love for Jesus and one another has resulted in so much good in their own lives that they want everyone that visits to experience it. Imagine a church that desires to worship God by making room for others to see His glory and worship as if they were part of the family. Imagine a church full of Sunday Morning Missionaries loving guests just as much as they love one another, showing hospitality without grumbling.

What would it take for The Way to be that church? Do you need to do something differently to help us become that church?

The Sunday Morning Missionary Part 3

2013-11-15T11:01:00.001-06:00

Love, Show Hospitality, Serve

In the passage from 1 Peter 4, Peter gives us 3 things to do as the church to complete our vital role. Because this role is so important, we need to understand exactly what he is telling to do.

Love

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)

In the Greek language, there is more than one word that translates to love. In this instance, Peter used the word agape. Unfortunately, since our culture views love as an emotion, it loses some of its weight. But, agapeis so much more than an emotion. This is the love that was defined by God the Father sending Jesus the Son (John 3:16). It is the love Jesus loved us with when He purposefully and sacrificially gave His life so that we could gain our life (1 John 3:16). This kind of love moves beyond emotion to action. It is a choice to act sacrificially in another’s best interest.

Peter is telling us to love one another, like Jesus has loved us. In spite of sins towards one another and in general, he is calling us to act for the good of each other even if it costs us something to do it. Paul captured this idea in Philippians 2 when he encouraged the church to consider others more significant than themselves and to not just think of their own interests but other’s as well. John wrote that we shouldn’t just love one another in word but also in deed (1 John 3:18)

As we put these together, it is undeniable that Wal-Mart-like attendance is not acceptable under Biblical perspectives. This begs the question, are we making room in our lives to love others as Jesus has loved us? Is this active sacrificial love evident every time we get together, even on Sunday mornings?

If we are going to adopt the attitude of missionaries, it begins not by looking outward at the world but together loving each other. Peter’s first point of reference is not outside the church but to those in the church. He doesn’t say to love everybody else first, and then love one another. But rather, makes our love for one another the responsibility of each individual member. Because, we have been loved like this, we can love like this; we just have to make up our minds to do it.

Did you know that there are 5 teams functioning to make our Sunday morning gathering happen? These all function with the good of others in mind. They all come at a cost to those working in them. Some of them require extra nights a week; some require that people show up early. But isn’t that exactly what love is all about. There is no real reward, no one is getting paid, and they likely aren’t getting the recognition they deserve. But these team members continue to show up and give of themselves for the good of others, loving others just like Jesus loved.

But, Sunday Morning Missionaries don’t just serve in these teams. They say show appreciation for what they have received. They listen closely to their friends, offer words of encouragement, and even stop to pray for them in the moment, rather than putting it off until later. Sunday Morning Missionaries know that the most important moments of this intentional gathering will likely happen between the first and last note of music. So, rather than thinking of themselves, they love others by doing their part to remove barriers to and distractions from taking part in corporate worship and hearing the preaching of God’s Word.

Their efforts may not earn them a pat on the back, but they never go unnoticed by the One, whose opinion matters most, and whose glory motivates their actions.

Imagine the environment created, when not just a dozen people are doing this, but when virtually everyone who gathers loves like this. Imagine the insecurities and fears that most of us struggle with being swallowed up by this active sacrificial powerful love for and from others. Imagine the tangible offering of God’s grace we would have to offer every person that walked through the door if this word agape (love) encapsulated all of our actions and interactions. Imagine the effect this would have beyond the scope of that hour to two hours on Sunday morning as we each leave having experienced Jesus’ love tangibly.

This only becomes a reality when each of us take on the role as missionaries to love one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

The Sunday Morning Missionary Part 2

2013-11-15T10:58:00.001-06:00

Before the Singing Starts

In our hearts we know it, worship is more than singing together. But our language and actions often betray the fact that we categorize worship to those moments between the first and last note of music of the “worship set.” But, if the entire Sunday morning gathering is to be worship, we must reinforce how we act with what we know. Before the singing starts, Sunday mornings provide ample opportunity for the whole body of Christ, to honor Him.

1 Peter 4:7-10 (ESV)
⁷The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and
sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
⁸Above all, keep loving one another earnestly,
since love covers a multitude of sins.
⁹Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
¹⁰As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another,
as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

Peter begins this instruction with a sense of urgency. The end of all things is near (1 Pet 4:7), this needs to be done now, pay attention, listen up, let’s get busy doing this stuff, it is of vital importance. Above all, do these things. These are of primary concern for God’s people to be about doing. This urgency gives way to a list of instructions that move quickly from focusing on ourselves, to looking outward at how we interact with each other.

These actions and the attitudes that direct them shouldn’t be limited to Sunday morning, but since Sunday morning is an intentional time for Jesus’ people to gather, they definitely shouldn’t be absent either. But this doesn’t happen by accident. Not only do we need to hear the teaching, we need to understand and intentionally apply it. We must determine to attend church not like we shop at Wal-Mart, but as agents of God’s mission. We must adopt a missional attitude even in this. So, as the Gospel is proclaimed through the songs, sermon, and observance of the sacraments, it is further exemplified through each of us. This demands that attendance and participation are made a priority, not just for what we can get out of it, but to love one another, offer hospitality, and serve one another as God has supernaturally enabled.

In 1 Peter 4:10, Peter calls believers to do these things “as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” We have received God’s grace in Jesus, and now we are also conduits of that grace. You and I, believer, wield God’s grace in tangible ways. When we are together and we take time to serve and love one another, we are bestowing God’s unmerited goodness (grace) on those we love and serve. When we smile and welcome someone we don’t know, or take time to have a conversation with a stranger, we are allowing that person to experience God’s grace not just in theory but literally.

Sunday Morning Missionaries show up early, look for ways to serve others, pray for others, welcome others, and encourage others to see the beauty of our Creator and Savior for that one singular purpose, to worship and lead others to worship our one true living God. It’s here that worshipping God through our actions and interactions becomes exponential. As we worship, by loving, serving, and acting hospitably, we are not only enabling people to experience God’s grace. We are also leading them to respond in worship. As we worship by leading others to worship, God’s glory is magnified. It’s like compounding interest, and He deserves every ounce of adoration and awe.

The Sunday Morning Missionary Part 1

2013-11-15T10:55:00.001-06:00

The Sunday Morning Missionary

When I go to Wal-Mart I have a purpose in mind. I know what I want and I want nothing more than to get in and get out. When my wife goes to Wal-Mart, she has a purpose in mind also. Her purpose usually includes checking out different outfits, or household items, or anything else between the front door and the original reason she went in the store. In both cases, our purpose for going to Wal-Mart is almost always self-centered. For a large percentage of the people in our context, attending church gatherings is no different than going to Wal-Mart. They go in with one underlying self-centered motive.

Living in a culture and context in which attending church is often approached in the same way we shop at a store, we have to be more intentional about our own motives to attend church. And, we have to be prepared to equip other Christians to check their own motives.

Is there value in attending church? Yes. Is it important for Christians to attend? Yes. Can you ask the question, “What’s in it for me and my family?” Yes, you should be able to see personal value in your participation. The church should strive to serve you and your family, equipping you for the work of the ministry (Eph 4:11-12) But, being a part of the church’s worship gathering is much different than going to Wal-Mart taking what you want, leaving what you don’t, all the while doing what you can to not interfere with the other shoppers.

Why do you go to church on Sunday morning? Have you ever really stopped and thought about that? For some that attend, they are living up to social stigmas. Places like this are fewer and farther between, but they do exist. For some, it’s just what we have always done. For others, it is about relationships, learning the Bible, or worship. No matter who you are, if you attend church, something motivates you to set aside the time, to take the trouble to go. But do you ever, have you ever, stopped to ask yourself that one simple question; Why?

There is only one person that can discern your motives. But, over the next few weeks, through this series of short posts, I hope to help you do that. In addition, I hope to help you understand the purpose of the worship gathering so that as you come, you can come prepared to leave behind the Wal-Mart way, and participate as Sunday Morning Missionaries alongside your brothers and sisters in Christ as we worship Jesus, minister to one another for His glory and strive to lead others to worship Him along with us.

One Singular Focus, One Singular Purpose

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

Paul wrote this, originally addressing questions the Corinthian church had about eating food sacrificed to idols. But, don’t miss the key phrase that applies this to every action of the Christian life. Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. We can work, rest, eat, celebrate, love spouses, and raise children, dance, and sing all to glorify God. Every act of our Christian lives can be an act of worship, if done with the intent of attributing glory and gratitude to God. But there is something special about God’s people gathering to do this together.

Christ motivated, Spirit-influenced, God-centered worship is the one singular reason behind our Sunday morning gathering. We provide drinks and refreshments to extend hospitality in Jesus’ name. We think through the songs that will be sung, the theological perspectives they present, and even the style in which they are played in order to serve the church to God’s glory. Sermons are prepared with the intention of equipping believers for life and to draw attention to the majesty and beauty of our Creator and Savior. We participate in Communion every week, because we desire to make much of Jesus and the work He did to save us. Even the order of events is considered as we strive to facilitate the church body to participate in this time, in which, all other things are set aside that together we can praise our God and we can live in awe of Him.

No matter how good our intentions are, we can’t change the motives of those participating. Worship extends from the heart of each individual. Therefore, we can facilitate, but cannot force worship. That becomes the responsibility of each believer, and the very reason we should check our own hearts and examine our motives. Are we going to church to satisfy some idol, or to worship the one true and living God?

Act Like A Pagan?!?

2012-12-12T13:51:00.001-06:00

Your friends might pressure you to do this. Your parents not so much, but I am certain your Pastor (if you have one) has never encouraged you to act like a pagan. Well let me encourage you to do just that, at least in this one case.

Matt 2:1-12 (read it here) recounts the quest of the wise men as they sought out a king they knew had been born because it had been revealed to them by the stars. We don’t know much about them, but they likely weren’t God fearing or following. They certainly weren’t a part of God’s covenant people, and it’s likely that they weren’t worshipers of the one true God. But, whenever they saw the star, clearly a sign from Him, they responded.

It’s no small thing that God revealed the birth of King Jesus to these men, and we shouldn’t overlook that. But, at this time of year, we also shouldn’t overlook that God has revealed the same thing to us. He came to be with us. God, put on flesh and dwelt among us.

I guess the question is, will you respond like these pagan men that pursued the Christ once God revealed Him. Will you put your life on hold, to take up following Him? Will you give up your desire for the world and set your life aside as the only offering worthy of this King?

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 is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1

Wedding Woes

2012-11-21T09:31:00.000-06:00

I am certain you have seen videos like this before. You may even have videos like this from your own wedding or a friend’s wedding. As a Pastor, I have even created some of these moments for people. One time I referred to the bride as groom. Another time, when I introduced the newly married couple, I said their last name incorrectly, and they were friends of mine! The truth is wedding faux pas (or are they faux pi) are fun to look back on and laugh about. They make the day memorable. But, at least for one guy, his mistake wasn't just a memory for him and his wife, but it earned him a place in history, and gave him an opportunity to be the beneficiary of God’s good will.

Last Sunday we began a new sermon series, Here’s Your Sign, this first week had us looking at Jesus’ glory through the miracle He worked at a wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11). Imagine what it meant for the groom that Jesus showed up that day. Granted, he wouldn't have his poor planning remembered forever on America’s Funniest Home Videos or You Tube, but he had not planned well, or did not have enough money to fund this ceremony. No matter how you look at it, he faced a crisis. For you and me it may not seem like a big deal, but for the groom, his honor was at stake. Based on the passage, we aren't even sure that he even knew it at the time. But, he needed Jesus to show up. He needed Jesus to do a work for him, to provide for him, because he wasn't able to do it himself.

The truth is, this is the way it seems to work most of the time. God is providing for us before we even really know we have a need. Before, we even really know who He is, what He is capable of, or what lengths He will go for those He loves and calls according to His purpose. He is working for our good.

Maybe you’re thinking, it’s just a wedding, but take comfort in that, He cares even about your little things. But on the other hand recognize also that what Jesus did at the wedding is indicative of what He does even in the biggest things. He works in our lives at all levels.

Our greatest problem is sin and God’s wrath. Jesus demonstrates through the changing of the purification water to wine that represents His blood, that He has that covered. Through His blood we are made clean. By His power, we like the water are transformed and made new.
We also struggle with our desires in this life, but in the amount of wine Jesus made, we learn that His provision for us truly satisfies, and that what He wants for us is to experience the abundance of His provision. In Him, we no longer have to settle for the temporary pleasures this fading and failing world have to offer.
Then to think that the God of the universe cares even about your daily needs. I am overwhelmed by a sense of peace knowing, that He has my back. A sense of comfort knowing that I will never be in any circumstance that He is not ready for or is ill equipped to handle.

Are you encouraged by Jesus’ presence and provision in your life? Tell us how

Do They Matter?

2012-01-19T15:13:00.000-06:00

In our discussions about identity a question has been raised that needs to be answered. Does being a new creation mean those identifiers mentioned by Paul in Galatians, race, social status, and gender, don’t matter? The quickest and easiest answer to give is, yes and no. That probably doesn’t help much, so let’s break it out a little further.

No these sources of identity don’t matter if you are considering our value, or our standing before God. Paul’s comment to the Galatians (Gal 3:28) that there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, and men or women hit right at the heart of social and economic divisions of the day. He took what was valued in a human perspective and compared it with what was considered to be of lower worth and demonstrated that in Christ that had been undone. Jews saw themselves as elite and Greeks were less valuable in their perspective. The desired standing was not to be a slave but rather a free person. And, men felt that they were superior to women and it showed in how women were treated in that day.

We shouldn’t be too surprised that distinctions and perspectives of worth like these exist. We still hold them today. Racism is driven by a deep seated perspective that one race is better, more pure, chosen by God, or whatever self centered, self exalting perspective we can dream up. CEO’s are honored with exorbitant salaries, perks, bonuses, and some view of respect in society. All the while, the employees that make these CEO’s rich, in the vast majority of cases, go unnoticed, work extremely long hours to make someone else’s dream come true, and are paid a fraction of what they are worth. And even though women have won the right to vote, found some level of equality, and are treated much different in western cultures, it isn’t like this in most countries. And what may happen in polite society doesn’t necessarily apply to all situations. Our culture objectifies women as a means to an end. That is why pornography has become such a booming business, the fashions designed for our teen daughters get shorter and tighter all the time, and we want our starlets to have a certain look, dress a certain way, and we expect them to like it.

This is what happens in a culture that determines a person’s value by their race, social standing, or sex. One group is exalted while another is despised. Or one group is objectified and used to satisfy another’s desire. In Christ, this all changes. In Christ we are able to see that our value and worth come not from our standing in this world but rather our connection to Him. In Christ, we recognize that every person holds great value as images of their Creator God. In Christ, we recognize that no one is worth more than another. In Christ, the playing field is leveled. So, in this sense, no, the identifying traits of race, social standing, and gender provide no advantage in Christ, are not our source of value and therefore are of little worth and don’t matter.

However, there is a sense in which these distinctions are important and matter greatly. Genesis 1 depicts God’s creation of a man and woman, it says He created them in His image. Genesis 2 reveals that it was not good for the man to be alone and so God created the woman. Authority and leadership are also established in Genesis. Adam was created first signifying his authority in his relationship with Eve, and they were both given the authority over their children and the creation. In Genesis, Adam and Eve were told by God to be fruitful and multiply. It would have certainly looked different had sin not entered the picture, but there should be no doubt that different races would have eventually developed.

The point is, that from the beginning, before mankind’s fall into sin, we can see that these distinctions are still valid. So, in Christ, we should not assume that we become an indistinguishable mass of humanity. But rather recognize that these distinctions are worth celebrating and provide us insight into the roles that God has set aside for us as part of His family.

Missionally speaking, there are few testimonies as powerful as someone from one culture moving into and adopting life in another culture as they embody the truth of the Gospel. This is exactly what Jesus did in the incarnation. He took on an entirely new identity and form in order to bring light and truth to us (John 1:1-4; 14, Phil 2:6-8). And, it is exactly what Paul made reference to when he wrote to the Galatians about them becoming like him after he first became like them (Gal 4:12). This is not to say that we can’t work and incarnate truth within our own race, we most certainly can. As we approach our own races and religions, we have a great advantage in that we don’t have the same learning curve as to know what is appropriate or speaks to them and what doesn’t. The point is, that these distinct races demonstrate God’s diversity and creativity, and should not be disregarded even as we recognize His people will be called from all nations.

As social standing goes our value may not be determined by whether we are an employer or an employee, a leader or a follower, but we have been given abilities by God that equip us to be one or the other. We shouldn’t ignore these but rather accept ourselves to be created by God for His glory in whatever role we fill. This distinction even gives us an understanding and illustration of the authority of the Father over the Son, and the Son over the Spirit, and our Trinitarian God’s authority over us. We each have an authority that we are called to submit to. But that authority, whether realized or not, finds its foundation in the authority of God.

Finally, in reference to men and women, we can’t throw aside these distinctions. God created us man and woman. This was His design, His decision, His decree. For us to ignore it or assume that we have become neutral not only denies His authority over us, but rebels against it. Further to assume that God did not establish different roles for the different genders is to deny that He created us physiologically different. This is not a chauvinistic statement, we are equal, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we were intended to do the same things.

God created man and woman distinct in His creation. He made them different than one another and gave them different responsibilities. In Christ, we find our value as God’s creation and not our role or function. In Christ, we determine our worth through Him rather than the color of our skin. In Christ, we celebrate that our identity in Him informs how we live as a man or woman. We recognize that in Christ these distinctions don’t provide for us any advantage, but we won’t deny them or set them aside simply because a fallen humanity has abused them.

Identity Crisis Part 2

2012-01-18T08:28:00.000-06:00

Romans 3:21-26 (ESV)

²¹But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—

²²the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

²⁴and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
²⁵whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

²⁶It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Another way to phrase the issues raised in Romans 1 is to say that we have fallen short of God’s glory. This describes everyone of us, none of us are exempt, but that defining characteristic can be overcome. God has provided a way that we can be found in a right standing before Him. As we find in Romans 3 this is through faith in Jesus. As we trust in Christ, we are moved from a position of fallen short to right standing. This new position is the foundation of a new identity, which in the verses and chapters that follow Paul comes to describe as children and heirs of God.

Romans 8:14-17 (ESV)

¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

¹⁵For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"

¹⁶The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
¹⁷and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

The fact is that that this lofty idea has real world, everyday life, where the rubber meets the road applications. In fact, after dealing with the doctrines that define the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul turned his attention to the very real applicable truth. We will only ever be able to act in accordance with our nature or the base of our true identity. So we reject God because that is who we are, but this new identity built in this new nature, will and should affect how we live our lives.

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)

¹I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

As we begin to grow in this new identity we can easily begin to recognize that it affects every area of who we are. As this transformation takes place within in us, we are actually able to discern and define God’s will as it applies to our life, and therefore practically apply this new identity as the foundation of how we now live.

Let me leave you with one practical insight that I hope will help each of you as you consider yourself to be a child of God through faith.

Prior to our new identity all of our time, treasure, and talents were used in most cases how we wanted to use them. After all in our minds eye, we were the master of our own destiny. Of course, having a boss or being a parent may seem to limit what we think we can or can’t do, but that source of identity still informed how we used time, treasure, and talents. We still make real decisions about working long hours, and when we say yes and no to our children about something they want to do or want us to buy. Now that we are children of God, this informs every other aspect of our identity and rather than being an employee or a boss for ourselves we are able to live in that identity as God’s child and use that time and talent in ways that honor Him and become an act of worship directed towards Him. As a parent, we are able to use the abilities (talents) we have been given now to demonstrate God’s goodness to our children, turning even that most precious of identities into one that honors God. Even something as mundane as a consumer of goods and services in the world can and should be affected by this new identity, as we recognize the treasure God has given us can be enjoyed by us. But the greatest joy might come as we use the money we are blessed to have to demonstrate God’s great generosity.

Consider who you recognize yourself to be, does your time, treasure, or talents reveal that you are really living out of that identity? Or, might they demonstrate something different? The truth is if you recognize you need to change, it starts not with setting up a plan or process to hold yourself accountable. But first, it all comes down to finding yourself in this new identity through faith in Christ. From that point forward that new identity relieves the crisis, and informs a new perspective on every aspect of who we are.

Identity Crisis Part 1

2012-01-17T12:53:00.001-06:00

Every issue we face, good or bad, comes down to an issue of identity. Whether that is forced on us by someone else’s decisions based on what they believe about themselves or it is our own, our identity informs our decisions. I know most of us don’t cognitively consider the question, “Who am I?” before making a decision. But I am convinced of this fundamental truth of who we are and I want to show you why and how it reveals itself in our day to day life.

Identifying ourselves in a certain way builds a foundation for how we then begin to think we should act. I identify myself as a pastor, what I believe a pastor is then begins to inform the way I think I should act and react, how I should spend my time and my money, it even gives me a perspective to what I believe some of my strengths and weakness are. It helps me to decide when I should say “yes or no” to involving myself in certain events, schedules, and circles. Because of my view of what a pastor is, I interact with some people and choose not interact or be influenced by others. I might be willing to listen to a perspective not because I buy into it, but rather because I want to understand it, so that I can then speak into it or even against it if necessary. The thing is; this is just the beginning of how I identify myself. Before I am a pastor, I am a father, before I am a father, I am a husband, and make no mistake these two sources of identity inform my life heavily. But there is one source of identity that informs every other source as the foundation of them all, and that is my identity in Christ.

Romans 1:18-21 (ESV)

¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
¹⁹For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
²⁰For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

²¹For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

This passage from Romans reveals one ugly but real truth about mankind. We are on our own, and apart from God doing anything about it this is where we would remain. Our nature has been so radically consumed in darkness that despite the evidence of God’s power and presence we reject Him as our Creator or our sovereign Ruler in order to determine our own course. So, we begin doing the only thing we can do, acting out of our nature and the truth of our identity as a person separated from and no longer influenced by the truest source of who we are and where we come from. If you don’t get a sense from the previous verses of how it works out for us, you might read the rest of Romans 1. I’ll just let you know it isn’t flattering.

The beauty of the story is that this isn’t all that we are left to; Paul builds to a point in Romans that allows us to see that there is a way to overcome this crisis of identity, and the influence of our nature.

Romans 3:21-26 (ESV)

²¹But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—

²²the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

²⁶It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Christmas Missionary

2011-12-16T16:30:00.000-06:00

This week’s devotional in the Advent Guide did something very interesting; it gave us one of the best missionary calls there is in scripture. Now I am sure many of you are thinking… Advent has nothing to do with being a missionary; it has to do with Jesus being born, doesn’t it? And I would say your right! But the beauty of the story of the incarnation or first advent of Christ is that without it we would not know what a true missionary looks like. Let’s look at the text again –

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(John 1:1-5; 9; 14 ESV)

You see, the beauty of Christmas lies not in the fact that a baby was born but that God (Jesus, The Word, The True Light) became a man.

Jesus unlike other gods was not a god who was going to sit on His throne in heaven and choose not to understand or even try and relate to us. Instead Jesus, who was in the beginning with God and was himself God (v.1), chose to leave the glories and worship of heaven to come down here to earth (For a great picture of what heaven was like for Jesus, look in Isaiah 6:1-5). He came to be a God that wasn’t cold and distant but was humble, sympathetic, loving, and could relate to us in every way. He came to bring the good news of the gospel. Jesus came as the Word to bring the words of good news; just as His Father had sent Him to do.

More than 40 times in John’s gospel alone Jesus tells us that He was sent from God. Jesus was a sent man who came to bring the words of God to earth. Jesus came and spoke and lived in such a way that He was able to communicate more clearly than any man ever had regarding the Words of God, and this was because Jesus was a true missionary. Sent from the culture of heaven to the culture of earth, He came bringing the Word of God, and as the Word “spoke” the greatest words from God in His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead! The beauty of this story is that it isn’t over, we have been sent too.

In John 20:21 Jesus tells us that just as God the Father sent Him to earth as a missionary, He is sending us as missionaries. Now this doesn’t mean we have all been called to travel overseas or to another country but that we are all missionaries wherever we are. You see, once we are saved by faith in Christ we are no longer citizens of any place on this earth (Phil. 3:20). No matter where we are we are missionaries to a foreign place. The great news is though, that you don’t have to learn a new language or new customs because you have lived here all your life. The difference is that your existence here is no longer just an existence but a chance to bring the good news of Jesus to the citizens of this world.

Though we may not recognize it we have all been given the skills and abilities to bring the gospel in an amazing way to the people around us. You know your friends, family, neighborhood, work, etc. better than most other people. You know the culture, the language, the rituals, and the celebrations of the people you live life with, and with the power of the Spirit, are one of the best equipped missionaries for your context. Maybe you have never thought of yourself as a missionary but I challenge you to begin thinking that way. Begin learning your culture so well that speaking the gospel into it becomes easy. Learn the people, their struggles, their habits, their loves and bring the gospel to them in a way they will understand. Become a student of your culture and live like a missionary.

My challenge to you this Christmas is not remember a baby but a missionary. Remember Jesus who came as the God man to relate to us and bring the gospel into our culture. Remember that He came out of love and grace to bring the gospel. Remember that just as He was sent and lived a life as a missionary by the power of the Holy Spirit, you have been given the same calling and the same Spirit as Christian. Remember because this world is not our home but heaven is and there we will see Him as He is, our great God, Savior and Missionary.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)

His Glory Our Good

2011-12-13T11:07:00.001-06:00

I recently preached from the passage in 2 Samuel in which, God reveals to King David that He would establish David’s throne forever. Of course, this promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and that was ultimately the point that I preached toward. But I noticed something I had not seen before resting in the midst of David’s answer to God’s promise that has been an encouragement to me every day since.

2 Samuel 7:18-21 (ESV) ¹⁸Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? ¹⁹And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD! ²⁰And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD! ²¹Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.

Of course David was amazed and praising God because of His promise. Of course David was in awe. Is there really any other acceptable response to God’s goodness than thanksgiving? No, of course not, anything other than genuine thanksgiving is like wrestling with a bear. You can do it but it doesn’t make it right.

But the verse that caught my attention is verse 21. David was ecstatic about what God had told him. But, he recognized that there was a reason God had promised and would do such an amazing thing, and that reason wasn’t centered on David. David recognized that there was more at work than him just experiencing a good day. God was doing something not just for his day to day good experiences, but for his forever every day good. He did act for David’s good, but not some temporary sense of well being. He was truly working in David’s best interest, and David saw it.

David’s best interest wasn’t just having a son on the throne. His best interest was to know the greatness of God. David’s best interest certainly depended upon a King that would rule forever, but that King wouldn’t be a King if God wasn’t so great. If God wasn’t the almighty, if He weren’t the eternal, all powerful, ever-present, all knowing Creator there would be no reason to expect Him to fulfill such a promise as He made to David. But, in the midst of this amazing work He made David know His greatness.

I am always amazed when I see God at work. I am always grateful that He is still at His work today. I am certain that He has His people’s best interest in mind. Now, I am reminded that everything that I see Him do, isn’t just about my good, but also about us seeing His glory. Our greatest good is to know His great glory. We can be grateful He is making it known.

Totally Worth It

2011-11-17T00:19:00.001-06:00

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

To be completely honest there are some days when I can’t help but wonder if it is all worth it. Really, honestly some days are tough, and when the fruits of our labors seem scarce it is easy to get caught up in a self-centered pity party. Recently, I received a nudge from the Lord that reminded me; He knows what He is doing, and He doesn’t need my advice. He will do things in His time and in His way, but we can be sure of one thing. He won’t leave undone anything that He wants done, and if we are fortunate enough to be any small part of the process of His work we are blessed and should be grateful.

Okay, so it was more like being hit by a lineman in a football game than just simply being nudged. But I don’t mean that in a bad way. Sometimes this is exactly what we need. We need to be confronted so directly by God’s sovereign power that we are knocked out of our complacency, doubt, or self centered thought, and able get our eyes back on the prize. That is exactly what happened as I watched my friend “Spanky” Hale be baptized this weekend.

I have known Spanky for several years. I was working in an aircraft repair facility, and Spanky took a job as a Sheetmetal Mechanic. As soon as I met him, I liked him. He was real, wasn’t about putting on a show for anyone, had a great work ethic, and the way he said things just made me laugh. He is one of those “country boys” that say normal things in round about ways. To ask if someone understands him, he would say, “Are you picking up what I’m laying down.” You know the kind. But just like everyone of Spanky needed Jesus. So, I prayed for this for him, shared about it with him, and tried to set a good example for him.

It wasn’t just Spanky, but everyone that I ever worked with, for, or that worked for me. I wanted them all to know Jesus as I had come to know Jesus, to trust Him. That was the pattern of my life when I first met Spanky, and it was no different when Spanky left that job and I assumed I would never see him again. He left having no more relationship with Jesus than when he showed up. So, it was a complete shock, when I received a message from him about a year and a half later letting me know that he had been attending church and even memorizing Bible verses. I knew then that God was up to something, but it really all settled in, when I got the call months later. “I have been saved!”

It was exciting to know, that Spanky had been saved and he wanted me to be there when he was baptized. When he said it, tears filled my eyes, and the excitement that was in my heart was just about to blow a hole in my chest. To think about being at the baptism of this guy that I had been praying for was an honor I just couldn’t pass up. So, a date was set. I went, I watched, I praised God for the new man He had made. It was great, but it was after lunch that God woke me up and reminded me, getting tired is not an option, giving up is not an option, we have to run this race as if lives depend on it, because they do.

Spanky told me that day that if it hadn’t been for me, he probably never would have stepped foot in that church. But he had listened to the things I said, saw the way I acted and treated others and he wanted to be like me. He thought the difference was church, so he started going, and what he found out was that the difference was Jesus.

I thank God for saving Spanky. I thank God for bringing him to a church and Pastor that would point him to Jesus. I thank God for allowing me to be a part of that process in his life. I thank God for reminding me that He can handle it, that He will accomplish all that He has set out to accomplish, and that there is great reason to keep up the good fight, because efforts spent for God’s glory will not be spent in vain.

The Way Faith Community Vision and Mission

2011-11-02T04:58:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I have posted on this blog. So I thought a great way to start it off would be to post our vision and mission that was just published in our first newsletter.

Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees. We get so caught up in the details of our own lives, families, jobs, and every other thing we involve ourselves in that it is no wonder we need help keeping things in focus. Most of us don’t come up with personal vision/mission statements, but businesses and churches have used these to keep themselves on track in the midst of rapidly changing circumstances. But these vision statements, even the most relevant of them, are only as good as our own understanding of them and the focus they draw us toward. And, it doesn’t matter if the most creative writer puts together the most clever vision statement if no one knows it or considers it.

Vision/Mission statements give us a common goal, something to strive for. They should consistently remind us of who we desire to be and what we want to do. They can be simple summaries. For example, Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Or, they can be complex documents. Ben and Jerry’s vision and mission is complex enough that it couldn’t be summarized in one simple statement, but is 3 parts dealing with corporate strategy and their own impact on the world around them. The common thread is that these statements are tools to help unite everyone that is part of the organization to move in one common direction.

So, what direction, what goal, what mission is the heartbeat of The Way? What kind of people are we striving to be? Worshippers, we want to be worshippers. But, even that isn’t clear enough, because we are already worshippers of something. We want to be worshippers of the right thing, and we want to worship in the right way, and we want our worship not just to be about us, but we want it to affect others for their good. To put it as concisely and clearly as possible, The Way is striving to be a people who worship and lead others to worship the one true and living God.

The problem with being concise is that sometimes it leaves too much unsaid. If we all understood what is behind that concise statement that would be fine, but even as I write, I recognize that there are too many questions to leave it at that. Why do we worship God? How will we worship God? What will our lives look like as we do this together? What motivates us to do this? So, in an effort to help every member of The Way join together for a common purpose let me try to answer these questions.

It starts with the Gospel. Apart from the message of Jesus Christ coming, dying in our place for our sin, and raising from the grave on the third day, none of this would matter. Honestly, we wouldn’t have any desire for it anyway. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the central theme and motivation of everything that we do. We are not striving to be a people that worship in order that we might impress God with our good works. It would never work; our works would never be good enough. We would always be lacking and trying to make up for our failures and inability to truly be good. But, because of Gospel, God accepts us by His grace through faith.

So, we live with our vision in mind, because of the Gospel. It is the answer to why we strive to worship. It is the motivation that leads us to worship God. It is the result of God’s message of grace that we don’t live by these rules to gain God’s approval, but...

Because of the Gospel, we love God and want to honor Him with our lives.
Because of the Gospel, we are able to recognize not only how desperately we need God but also one another.
Because of the Gospel we are able to “consider others more significant than ourselves and look not only to our own interests but also the interest of others.”
Because of the Gospel we are able to see that the world’s greatest need is not physical but spiritual.
Because of the Gospel we want the world to know the Father that sent the Son, Jesus who came and died, and the Holy Spirit that brings life.

So our vision is driven not from our own wisdom and insight but is a result of God’s work in us through the Gospel.

So, Because of the Gospel...

We desire to worship and lead others to worship the one true and living God

We desire to be a family that lives unified and authentic lives together for God’s glory

We desire to be a community that selflessly serves one another as God enables us.

We desire to be a people used by God to share His message and grow His kingdom

Worship God, Live Authentically, Serve Selflessly, Share Eagerly

Worship God

We all worship something, but there is only One that is truly worthy of worship and that is the triune God, who created all things. We begin with worship, because it is from misplaced worship that all things truly begin going wrong. We are striving not simply to set aside a time of worship, but to make worship a lifestyle. We feel a strong conviction, to give our lives to God repentantly, faithfully, and without holding anything back for His honor and Glory. Ultimately, as we develop the other points of our mission statement, they are all done with this purpose of worship in mind and truly become expressions of our worship.

Live Authentically

Our relationship with God may have been the most important relationship damaged when mankind fell into sin. However, it was not the only one that was damaged. Interpersonal relationships felt the results of the curse as well. However, as believers we are not only restored to a right relationship to God, but we are brought into His family by way of adoption. As we live lives that honor God we recognize that it will require us to love one another by building relationships that move beyond the superficial, but allow us to develop accountability, encouragement, and opportunities to speak truth into each other’s lives.

Serve Selflessly

God’s intention was never for us to live life alone. We were designed to need one another. We were created to be dependent on Him and other people. As He has built His church, He has given gifts and abilities to each believer, so that His grace is demonstrated in its various forms. As we serve, we honor God and see the needs of this family met.

Share Eagerly

The first responsibility of all people is to worship God. The unfortunate reality in our fallen world is that God is not worshipped. As we build a family that devotes itself to worship, we recognize that to truly worship is to find ourselves obedient to His commands, including those that call us to go and make disciples. Therefore, beyond building deep relationships and meeting one another’s needs, we approach the world to teach them of the power of the Gospel and to demonstrate it actively.

Behold the Power of What????

2009-02-07T13:49:00.003-06:00

I love those commercials that used to run about cheese. One of my favorites was of two fish in bowl that noticed a plate full of cheese just out of their range. They began to swim into the side of the bowl sliding it ever closer to the plate, and when they were close enough, they swam in circles picking up enough speed to launch out of the water onto the plate. Unfortunately, at just the last second the plate was moved and the fish landed on the table. At that point, the announcer said, “Behold the power of cheese.” That was not the only funny one, but whether it was the fish, Santa leaving extra gifts for a child who put out cheese instead of cookies, or a political candidate derailing his campaign because he did not like cheese, the power cheese had really moved them. Who would have thought that cheese of all things had that kind of power? I guess I have sorely underestimated its power all of these years. Cheese is not the only thing that we underestimate. Every day people underestimate God’s power to do amazing things in them and through them.

In reading and studying in the book of John, I have been so impressed as I saw Jesus in those early passages begin to gather those that would lead the New Testament church. Who would of thought that men like Simon (Peter), Andrew, John, Philip or Nathanael would have amounted to anything more than a common Jewish man. They did not have the pedigree to be chosen by the Rabbi’s for a higher education. They were not Priests or Levites. They were ordinary men that God used for extraordinary things. Even Jesus took the Jews by surprise, they never saw Him coming. Isaiah prophesied this would be the case. He wrote, “ For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2 ESV)

It was not Jesus’ good looks, or stately appearance. It was not His charming personality, and it was not His winsome way. Later, John clearly portrays that people begin to follow Jesus, and His following grows because they see God’s power and glory evident in His life. He changed water into wine, revealed His glory, and people believed (John 2:11). He went to Jerusalem for the Passover, and people believed in Him because of what they saw Him do (vs.23). Jesus was a walking revelation of God’s glory and power. When people initially followed Him they did not understand the full extent of His identity. What they saw for certain was a man of God.

All too often we disregard this same power in our own lives. We say in one breath that we trust God for our salvation, but then underestimate His power for life. Remember After His resurrection and just before He ascended, Jesus told His followers, “As the Father sent me, so I send you.” Not only were they sent but they were sent in the same power and with the same authority. The power was not their own, and the authority was not their own. Those still find their source in the Father. Yet, that is what makes them so real, so amazing, so affective. If it were our limited means, our good looks, or our charming personalities there wouldn’t be much hope. However, it is the mark of God’s glory and power that distinguishes us as believers from all others and ultimately empowers us to make a real difference in the lives of those around us.

As His children, each of us has been touched by God. We have been transformed. We have been given life, and that life shines so brightly into the darkness around us. Forget the power of cheese, and never again underestimate the power of God not only to transform you but also transform others through you. Jesus starting with five ordinary students began a revolution that would build into a movement that has lasted for over two thousand years, and will last for all eternity.

A Thanksgiving Wish

2008-11-25T23:07:00.003-06:00

The other night after our worship gathering, I was standing and talking to someone when a girl came running up to me to give me something. This particular girl is part of a family that our church has helped on several occasions. When I looked at what she had given me, many struggles that I had been dealing with that very day, and the week before, were suddenly brought into a sharp focus. It was a "thank you" card.

During the children's service, they had been studying about giving thanks. Then they did a craft to help reinforce what they had learned. They made these cards to say "thank you" to whomever they felt deserved it. This little girl had any number of people that she could thank, but decided to thank me. As I stood there looking at her shiny pink hair and hand-me-down clothes, she said as she hugged me, "You are the one I wanted to thank."

You see, I had come into the building that night struggling with a long week at my day job, stressed over the time I was putting into it, while I had so much to do for our church. I had been dealing with how I was going to get a project done for the seminary class I am attending, trying to figure out when I was going to find time to buy my wife a birthday present, play with my kids, pray and have devotions, study for next weeks sermon, and on and on. None of these are bad things, but I was struck with a thought, as this little girl, that so many might be quick to look past, offered such a nice gesture.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for you, in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

It was not that I should not have been thinking about those things. It was just that in the midst of it all, I had forgotten to be thankful. I was not being grateful that I am blessed to have a job that pays the bills, grateful that I can afford to go to seminary, buy my wife a birthday present, grateful that I have kids that want to play with me, and grateful that God uses me in His work. All of this, while I know for a fact, this little girl's family has needed help buying groceries, clothes, paying for utilities, and other basic necessities that most of us normally take for granted.

Let me encourage you to stop right now and think about all that you have to be thankful for, and then who it is that deserves that gratitude. While I received thanks from this little girl, it is our church that has done the work, but ultimately it is God, through His Son Jesus Christ, that worked in our hearts and provided for us so that we might help them. Therefore, I say, "Thank you Father, for blessing us so that we might be used to show your awe inspiring love in such a special way."

Let me know what it is that you have to be thankful for this year. I would love to share it so that people can hear how God is working. For those of you that are part of The Way I would even like to do something special with the things you share. Email me; I will keep the names confidential unless you give me permission to share. seth@thewayfaithcommunity.com.

Prince Caspian?

2008-08-20T23:38:00.002-05:00

My family and some good friends went to watch Disney’s version of C.S. Lewis’, The Chronicle’s of Narnia; Prince Caspian. While the movie was enjoyable, and the computer generated animation was phenomenal, I could not get past this nagging sense that something was wrong. It had been a while since I had read the book, but as soon as I got home, I went straight for my bookshelf and my own copy of Prince Caspian. After giving it a quick once over, I was able to determine that I had felt like something was wrong, because it was.

There were several events that had been changed, added, or deleted all together. What ultimately came from this exercise was not a movie critique, but an insight into something I would consider much more important. Two distinct thoughts struck me and have made a lasting impression. The first thought was, if people do not read the book, they will never see the difference. They would not know how differently Disney portrayed many of the events that took place. The second thought was that if it bothered me, how would C. S. Lewis feel? More specifically at what point does it cease to be C. S. Lewis’ story.

I know those do not sound like deep or even important thoughts, but when the switch in my head flipped from movie and fantasy story, to life and God’s Word, it suddenly felt very significant. Just think about this, if people do not know what the book says, in this case the Bible, how will they distinguish the many influences we have in our world today. In addition, if I was bothered at the editing of a story that I read, how much more right does God have to be bothered whenever we stretch His divine words around our own agendas? How far can a truth be stretched before it is no longer true?

Jesus pointed out just how important the role is that Scripture plays at the end of His parable about the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31).

Luke 16:29-31 (NIV) 29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 30 "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

The phrase, Moses and the Prophets, refers to the Old Testament. Jesus’ point is not to diminish the power of a miracle, but to point out that the Scriptures are more than sufficient to point us to true life. In fact, a real Lazarus was soon raised by Jesus, and the result was that the Jewish leaders plotted more earnestly to kill Jesus. Because Lazarus was raised by Jesus, they were going to kill him as well. There was another that was raised from the dead as well, and even today people are trying to deny the power and historicity of Jesus’ own resurrection.

First, we need to take advantage of the amazing opportunity that we have as Christians today. The Scriptures are more available now than they have ever been before. They have been translated into numerous languages, and we are left with no excuse. As we read it, we cannot be like the Jewish leaders that were considered to be the experts when it came to the Scriptures, and still would not believe when a man rose from the grave. Their view of Scripture had been tainted by their own ideas. We must set aside our preconceived notions, and read God’s word looking for what He intended to say, so that we understand His truth, and not our own.

Don't Be Surprised, Rejoice: Another Look

2008-07-04T18:20:00.004-05:00

1 Peter 4:14-16 (NIV) 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

This issue of suffering is very difficult. In fact, for many people it has been the line in the sand when it comes to trusting in God. We evaluate every experience we have from an incomplete and often flawed perspective. Yet, we most often assume that our own perspective is the best perspective and honestly prefer it to others. If the experience hurts, it is bad. If the experience gives us what we want, we assume it to be good. However, read Peter’s words again. Here is a new perspective that we should consider. Suffering, for the name of Christ, is a blessing.

As mentioned in the previous posting, there is no way for us to know exactly what Peter’s readers were enduring. On the other hand, Peter does help us understand that suffering can be more than just another hard situation. I challenged you to think about what Jesus did and what He endured. One thing I did not point too exactly is that He loved us and continues to love us even when we do not deserve it. It cost Him dearly to do that. It was not convenient for Jesus to come here and actively love us. This was a plan that had been in process since the fall of mankind several thousand years earlier. He could have set there on high, looking down on us, telling the angels how much He loves us. However, that is not what happened. John 3:16 happened. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." He came here to us, touched us, and lived among us. He reached out and got his hands dirty. He got involved. He got personal. He did the right thing in spite of the cost, because the outcome was worth it.

Suffering for the name of Christ moves beyond living a moral life no matter what the cost. This would be part of it, but it goes much further. It means living as Jesus did and following the examples He set. He would speak the truth, but He would also reach out to those that were obviously unworthy. All too often we act as cowards not willing to get involved hiding behind excuses (that is not my spiritual gift or I am very busy), our own piety (I am too clean to get dirty by involving myself with the likes of those people), and in our day we even hide behind our government. Think about it, rather than love someone in their sin, and I mean actively reach out and love them with the same love Jesus showed us, we would rather legislate them into morality. This way we can stand at a distance and try to fix the problem. We can hold our opinions quietly, only sharing them with people who agree with us. Let me ask you as I did before, where would we be if Jesus had acted in this way. What hope would we have? The law was given and we could not live by it. Legislation does not fix the problem we have, only God's love can do that. The law condemns us, but Jesus saves us.

I am not asking you to abandon your moral convictions, vote for the right thing, live a righteous and holy life, Christians hold one another accountable to living rightly, but don’t do this from a distance, reach out your hand and love your neighbor. Our culture needs us to not only be willing to assent to the knowledge of truth but to do so in the love that we have experienced. Speak your mind, share the truth, but get personally involved and let the world see Jesus at work in you. This will likely lead to your suffering; the people you seek to love and help may lash out at you; and some people, that you might think are on your side, may ridicule you, but if you are truly doing it so that God can be praised, so that His name is glorified, is it not worth it? Peter says it is, and he tells us that if you suffer for doing the right thing, living as a follower of Christ, you are blessed.

How are you suffering? Are you suffering as a consequence of sin? Or, are you suffering because you are living like Jesus? One way or another you will suffer, that is life on Earth, but only one way is really worth it.

Don't Be Surprised, Rejoice!

2008-06-27T07:15:00.005-05:00

Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

We have no way of knowing exactly what trials Peter was referring to, but it is obvious from the language used here that they were intense. The word translated in the NIV as painful, literally refers to burning. These trials have been a major emphasis through out Peter’s letter to these early believers. You can find something about suffering mentioned in every chapter. However, Peter was not trying to convince his readers of the issue of suffering, they knew their circumstances all too well. He was helping them understand how to live through it. Peter wanted them to understand that this is really to be expected and accepted.

This new life, these early believers were experiencing and that you and I experience in Christ, is so amazing. Every thing is truly made new. Everything comes with a new perspective, even suffering. Do not be surprised, but rejoice. Rejoice because I suffer? I do not think Peter wanted His readers to look at their trials and jump for joy, but intsead rejoice because the suffering for doing right actually indicated their connection to Christ, which in the end leads to even greater joy. Jesus suffered for doing right, and if our Master suffered in that way, why would we expect it to be any different for us?

I have a picture in my mind, of a street that has speed bumps all along it. These speed bumps may be a pain to deal with. They may seem to slow you down. The truth is, they may even seem to be in your way, but in most cases speed bumps are placed to keep people safe. Suffering for living as God calls may seem to distract you, or knock you off course, and in most cases it will be painful, but it is part of this life. Not because God enjoys watching us squirm, but because He is cleansing and refining us. This, I believe, is the picture that Peter is presenting in these two verses. The burning or fiery trial is removing the impurities and preparing you for Christ. God is using these to form us into His image.

Furthermore, Jesus had to cross these same speed bumps, and as we follow in His path, we should understand that it is not always a smooth road. After all, look at what He endured. He stepped out of the glory of Heaven for our salvation, and received ridicule, skepticism, accusations of insanity, attempts to publicly humiliate Him, and eventually physical beatings, and an old rugged cross. He who knew no sin, became sin. He did not deserve death or the consequences of sin, but He took our sin upon Himself, and paid the price. If you can't rejoice because you suffer (I am not there yet), rejoice that through this process God is making you into the person He created you to be.