Would Your Congregation Choose You?

Posted by David on May 9, 2004 under Bulletin Articles

Acts 11:19-24 So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.

So much is contained in these few verses that literally a relevant book could be written about them. These verses document a major shift in sharing the resurrected Jesus Christ.

For a while Jesus’ resurrection was declared exclusively to Jews. God promised Israel a Messiah. God’s intent: the Messiah would be God’s fulfillment of His ultimate accomplishment through Israel. Israel had many expectations about the Messiah’s impact on Israel. What could be more natural than an intense discussion about Jesus’ identity among Jews? After all, they were certain the Messiah was promised to them to meet their expectations. They did not understand God’s original promise to Abraham, their ancestor: “… in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

For a while, Jesus’ resurrection was discussed only among Jews. Then some Jewish converts from Cyprus and Cyrene taught people in Syrian Antioch who were not Israelites. “The hand of the Lord” was with them. The result: “many who believed turned to the Lord.”

This startling news reached converted Jews in Jerusalem where the teaching about Jesus’ resurrection began. Naturally, the question was, “What is going on?” They selected a Jewish convert, Barnabas, to travel to Antioch to examine the situation. This is the same man whose name was changed from Joseph to Barnabas (son of encouragement) by the apostles, who sold some land and gave the money to the apostles to help the needy (Acts 4:36, 37), and who saw spiritual potential in Saul (Paul) the man previously violent against Jewish Christians (Acts 9:26-28).

Few Jewish Christians could visit a Gentile city and be elated about God’s work among people who were not Jews! In Antioch Barnabas continued doing what he did among Jerusalem converts: “he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord.” He was not jealous because God’s grace worked among these people! He did not feel threatened on behalf of Jewish converts! He saw God’s grace and rejoiced! Why? “He was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.”

If your congregation wondered, “What is going on?” would they send you to investigate because you are an encourager with godly attitudes, filled with faith and God’s presence?

Coming to Christ, part 3, “God’s Kingdom”

Posted by David on May 2, 2004 under Sermons

The things I want you to consider this evening must begin with a clear and certain understanding.

You must understand several things about me. I love my country. One of the great gifts God gave me in life is the gift of being an American citizen. Because of situations I have experienced, I have an enormous appreciation for this nation.

With my own eyes I have seen citizens in another country endure unjust, uncalled for abuse without recourse. Their own government had no regard for its citizens. I have talked with people face to face who literally cannot imagine our freedoms or our wealth.

Around 1990 Joyce and I visited Poland to assist with some follow-up teaching in their “Lets’ Start Talking” outreach. At that time Poland had reached independence for a few months. The major population area we were in was a very bleak place–no color, no advertising, very few things available–not even tooth brushes and toothpaste!.

We returned to Poland about two years later for the same reason. The transformation was incredible! Color was everywhere! Advertisement was everywhere! New building activity was quite obvious! Most things available here were available there!

While there the second time, we heard of a man who was visiting Poland from St. Petersburg, Russia. He said all of his life he dreamed of visiting America just to see the incredible things he heard about this country. As he returned to Russia, he said, “I no longer dream of going to America. I have been to Poland! It would be impossible for America to have as much as Poland has!”

I love our freedoms, I love our prosperity, I love our opportunities, I love and enjoy our way of life. I lived for years in a place that had very few of the things we take for granted everyday of our lives. I so deeply appreciate living in this nation that on our first trip back to the USA in 1972, when I saw the huge American flag at customs, I cried. My most emotional experience in 1972 upon our return for a leave was going to a supermarket. I had not seen that much food or variety in almost two years!

What I ask you to consider tonight has nothing to do with my not liking this nation. It has to do with understanding and loving God’s kingdom.

1. The Bible has a lot to say about God’s rule.
   1. The New Testament often speaks of God’s rule by speaking of the kingdom of God (Matthew often uses “the kingdom of heaven” because Israelites did not use the word “God” in order to protect against using God’s holy name in vain).
      1. The kingdom of God was at the foundation of the preaching of John the Baptist.
         Matthew 3:1,2 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
         1. The kingdom of God was at the foundation of Jesus’ preaching.
            Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
      2. May I call to your attention to something fascinating to me about John’s and Jesus’ emphasis on God’s kingdom: both of them preached to people who thought they knew everything there was to know about God’s rule, yet these people did not understand the rule of God.

2. I want you to consider Paul’s statement in Colossians 1:13,14:
   For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
   
   1. Notice these things:
      1. Paul divided the whole world into two realms: “the domain of darkness” (which is ruled by Satan) and “the kingdom of His beloved Son.”
      2. Everyone was in the domain of darkness and needed deliverance.
      3. What everyone needed was to be moved from the domain of darkness and placed in the kingdom of Jesus where God rules.
         1. It is under God’s rule through Jesus that we can have redemption (be freed from the control of the domain of darkness).
         2. It is under God’s rule through Jesus that we can have the forgiveness of sins.
         3. The two cannot be separated.
         4. If we have one we have both.
         5. We cannot have redemption or the forgiveness of sins in the domain of darkness.
      4. However, we of ourselves could not change kingdoms.
         1. We could try to build a bridge across the separation of kingdoms through human goodness, but it could never bridge the gap.
         2. We could try to build a bridge across the separation of kingdoms through human achievement, but it could never bridge the gap.
         3. Thus then we of ourselves could produce no escape from the domain of darkness.
         4. If we were to escape from the domain of darkness and be placed in God’s kingdom, Someone would have to build a bridge for us–we cannot and could not build it.
      5. I want you to notice on the chart that the further away from God we are, the greater the darkness increases.
         1. Those who have no influence of God in their lives are in the black area.
         2. The more influence God has in their lives, the more into the gray they move.
         3. Yet, if people go as close to God as they can get in the domain of darkness, they are still ruled by Satan and still in Satan’s domain.
         4. Even if they want through their efforts to come closer to God, they of themselves cannot escape Satan’s rule and enter God’s rule.
         5. Why? We cannot produce our own redemption, our own forgiveness.

3. Therefore Someone had to do something for us to benefit us that we could not do for ourselves.
   
   1. It was not and is not a matter of a number of things:
      1. It was not and is not a matter of desire–while desire is important, that is not enough to produce a change of kingdoms and rules.
      2. It was not and is not a matter of preference–while preference is important, that is not enough to produce a change of kingdoms and rules.
      3. It was not and is not a matter of fearing the consequences–while fearing consequences is important, that is not enough to produce a change of kingdoms and rules.
      4. We of ourselves could not cause a change of kingdoms and rules–regardless of how we act or what we do.
   2. God through Jesus’ death and resurrection did for us what we could not do for ourselves.
      1. God built the bridge that permitted us to escape the domain of darkness, to change kingdoms, and to change who rules us.
      2. God built the bridge with His grace, with His expression of love and kindness that no human deserves.
         1. He built that bridge of grace with the blood of Jesus who died for our sins.
         2. That innocent blood provided us redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
         3. Then God raised Jesus from death to prove God could resurrect us from death–that God defeated our greatest enemy, the enemy of death.
         4. We are provided opportunity to change rulers, to change kingdoms because of what God did for us in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
   3. Our objective is not to get across the bridge and sit down.
      1. The object is to cross the bridge and continue our journey toward God.
      2. We do not wish merely to be in God’s kingdom, under God’s control.
      3. Our entire lives we want to continue to move closer and closer to God.
      4. We change kingdoms because we want God to rule us–we will be ruled; we merely are choosing who our ruler will be.
      5. We do not change kingdoms to continue Satan’s rule in our lives.
      6. This is not the objective: to change kingdoms but remain under the same ruler. (That is not even an option for us! Romans 6:16)
      7. The reason we enter God’s kingdom is because we want God to rule us.

4. God’s kingdom exists to allow anyone who wants to be ruled by God to be in and a part of God’s kingdom.
   1. That kingdom will ultimately experience a heavenly reality in which all who have been ruled by God on earth live in His presence after the judgment, and all who reject God’s rule on earth are destroyed after the judgment.
      1. The purpose of God’s kingdom is to rule those who choose God through Christ until they are permitted to exist in God’s presence.
      2. We want and encourage people to leave the domain of darkness and enter the kingdom of God.
      3. We want and encourage people to have the kind of faith in Christ that results in God ruling their lives.
      4. We understand our journey in God’s kingdom will reach its destination when we live in the presence of God.
      5. We will be faithful to God, submit willingly to His rule in our lives now, so we can live in His presence after the judgment.
   2. This is not the purpose of God’s kingdom: to impose God’s control and rule in the domain of darkness over people who have no faith in God, no faith in what God did for us in Jesus’ blood and resurrection.
      1. The objective of God’s kingdom never has been to control godless people through force; to make those in the domain of darkness surrender to a God they reject by giving Him some form of faithless obedience.
      2. We seek to call to God and influence for God through the examples of our lives as we surrender ourselves to God’s rule.
      3. We do not seek to conquer the godless domain of darkness through law, but through faith in Jesus Christ and God.
   3. I am very afraid that we are concluding three things as Christians.
      1. I am afraid we are concluding that God’s objectives are primarily accomplished through laws that favor Christianity instead of faith in God.
      2. I am afraid we are concluding that God’ kingdom can exist only if laws that favor Christianity exist.
      3. I am afraid we redefine the objective of God’s kingdom as controlling society instead of calling individuals to God’s rule through faith in Jesus Christ.
      4. The more we accept any of those three things, the weaker Christians become spirituality.

5. Let me use the social, moral problem of domestic violence as an example.
   1. Domestic violence is an enormous moral problem in our society, and it is growing rapidly.
      1. At this moment, 28% of everyone living in this society is a victim of domestic violence–that is more than one of every four people living in America!
      2. There are so many instances of domestic violence in this nation that on average an act of domestic violence occurs every 9 seconds.
      3. Domestic violence occurs in every economic level and in every social level in our society–in economically well to do families who live in $250,000 homes and in extremely poor families who own almost nothing.
      4. Children who grow up in homes witnessing domestic violence are 1000 times (that is correct!) more likely to be abused as adults.
      5. Women who flee domestic violence are 75% more likely to be murdered.
      6. Over 50% of the men who abuse their wives also abuse their children.
      7. Domestic violence is the leading cause of physical injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in this country.
         1. It is the # 1 cause of physical suffering for women–more women suffer injury through domestic violence than through car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined!
         2. 30% of all female murders are the result of a violent act of a husband or boyfriend–that has been at around 3,000 murders annually since 1990.
         3. To me the chilling realization is this: the greater majority of perpetrators of abuse were the victims of abuse as children!
   2. We have a huge moral problem in this society right now–what are we going to do to solve it?
      1. Someone says, “We simply must pass some laws that make this a crime.”
         1. Excuse me!
         2. Do we have laws against murdering someone? Is not murder a crime?
         3. Do we have laws against beating and physically injuring an adult? Is such activity not a crime?
         4. Do we have laws against abusing children? Is not such abuse a crime?
         5. Have these laws solved these problems?
      2. The problem is not centered in a lack of laws–the problem is centered in ungodly, immoral behavior.

So you ask me, “What are you saying, David? Can we not be concerned about laws, about the direction of society, about confronting evil in society?” Surely everyone of us can be! In our nation we have every right to express our concerns and views.

I am saying two things: (1) the objective of God’s rule is expressed through faith in Jesus Christ which changes us morally. The objective of God’s rule is not controlling those who have no faith in God. (2) Passing laws will never be a substitute for godly living. Our basic concern is demonstrating God’s rule to society through the way we live our lives. There are no short cuts to the influence of godly existence produced by letting God rule our lives.

Let me give you something to consider. It is my understanding that the fastest growth ever experienced by the kingdom of God occurred in the first century. That occurred at a time when (1) Christianity was an illegal religion in a world of idolatry and (2) societies more brutal and immoral than most this society is today.

The single greatest problem Christians have in influencing society today is found in the fact we do not let God rule our lives!

Let people see the difference belonging to God makes in your life!

Proclaiming Christ’s Reign

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

PROCLAIMING CHRIST’S REIGN

Intro to Acts 2

• The church is waiting and praying. Now the gift of empowerment that Jesuspromised is delivered. It is noticed by the crowd
• The spirit enables them to speak out boldly and proclaim
• But even more – The crowd is enabled to hear in their own languages. It is not thatthe apostles preach it in various languages. People from every nation. Each onehears in own dialect
• In their own language they hear the Greatness of God. They were amazed. Speaking to each other about this: What does this mean? Some critics say -They’re drunk!

Acts 2:14 – 36 (Peter’s Sermon – Let’s give attention to this first proclamationof the church)

God gives the church its voice and message through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Weare heralds of the kingdom rule of God emerging into the world. Peter’s sermon canshow us the basics of our continuing message and proclamation …

Borrowing statements from the letters of Paul and Peter, let us consider how wecontinue to proclaim Christ’s kingdom in the same way Peter did on Pentecost …

1. We Believe Therefore We Speak
   But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance withscripture–“I believed, and so I spoke”–we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also withJesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. – 2 Corinthians 4:13-14
   • When the apostles spoke, they spoke as witnesses. They were doing more thansimply articulating their personal convictions. They were doing more thanproposing a philosophy or theory. They spoke out of their experience of God’samazing deeds.
     • In 2 Peter 1:16, Peter grounds his message in the fact that he and the otherapostles were eyewitnesses of Christ’s majesty and that conforms to themessage of the prophets.
     • In I John, John says that he and the other apostles declare “what was fromthe beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, whatwe have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life.
     • Paul’s ministry and message are rooted in his experience on the road toDamascus where he encountered the Risen Christ.
     • These may be slightly different personal experiences, but they have onething in common – Christ, the crucified one, is risen from the dead andexalted as Lord. That reality is transforming. It’s implications are striking.
   • Usually when we experience something we try and fit that experience into one ofwell-known categories. But the experience of Jesus, the risen Lord, rearranges ourcategories. (Consider how radically Paul’s life is changed).
   • Consider what this means for us: Our proclamation of the gospel is more than justa debate with others about our personal beliefs versus theirs. (Remember thatPeter doesn’t spend much time refuting the critics who claim he is drunk). Ratherour proclamation is of something new.
     • The definition of news – We report, you decide. We can speak of the newsof God. We witness his actions, we report his work.
   • Is this objective or subjective? It is both. Certainly God has made Christ Lord -regardless of how you or I respond to that. This is objective. (Note: that Peter doesnot invite the crowd to make Jesus Lord of their Life but he affirms that God hasmade Christ Lord regardless of their response or invitation). Nevertheless, thereis a place for us to speak of our subjective experience of Christ’s lordship. How hasit changed me? How do I see the world differently? The apostles do this. This hasits place because we experience this news about God as something wonderfullygood!

2. We declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into hismarvelous light.

   But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out ofdarkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you areGod’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.- 1 Peter 2:9-10

   • When the apostles claim that salvation is found in no other name than Jesus, theyare not being crude and intolerant. Their primary agenda is not to condemn otherviews. Rather, they first proclaim what is unique and exceptional about the gospel. They are speaking from experience of the mercy and goodness of what God hasdone. (Recall that Peter betrayed Christ and was restored. Recall that Paul wasa persecutor yet he was spared and received by others with forgiveness). Theysimply state that God has done something unique to overcome the powers of sinand evil. So, this is the only real hope. There just isn’t an alternative.
   • When Oprah Winfrey (among others) says that there are many paths to God, itassumes that God is out there waiting to be found by us. And even if we disagreewith many paths we sometimes operate under the assumption that God needs tobe found by us. But the reason why the apostolic news is so good is that God is nothiding while we seek him – he has arrived and revealed his grace in Jesus Christ. That’s why the Hebrew writer says these are such incredible days because Longago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but inthese last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things,through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and theexact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of theMajesty on high … – Hebrews 1:1-4

   • Consider what this means for us: When we proclaim the uniqueness of God’skingdom rule it is not from arrogance (as though we found the path to God) but fromhumility – God has found all of us. Paul seems to express this humility when hesays to the Galatians (4:8-9) Formerly, when you did not know God, you wereenslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you havecome to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back againto the weak and beggarly elemental spirits?
   • Our proclamation is not arrogant – it cannot be – for it isn’t about us, rather it isabout God. Although the news we proclaim is about the great things that areexclusive to God and that goodness is exceptional with God, we never have theright to claim this is exclusive among us! For God extends his grace to all who hearand respond in trust. The story of the book of Acts describes how Israel discoversthat God’s mercy and love includes the Gentiles. God has empowered us to sendout the invitation, but he hasn’t authorized us to make the guest list!

3. Speaking the Truth in Love

   But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is thehead, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by everyligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes thebody’s growth in building itself up in love. – Ephesians 4:15-16

   • Words have creative power. God spoke the world into being with words. Adam hadauthority to name creatures. Apostles are empowered to speak and the result ofthat empowerment is not just an argument to consider or a sermon to compliment,it is a new reality – this is Kingdom breaking in.
   • The result of Peter’s Spirit-Powered Sermon is new creation. Not only are languagebarriers overcome (reversal of Babel) but also social and political ones Lukedescribes the church as a new community quite different from anything we know -Acts 2:41-47
   • A witness to the power of words is marriage: “By the authority invested in me Ipronounce you man and wife” – that’s more than just flowery speech. That iswitness and proclamation of a new reality: two are now one! This is why discussionabout the meaning and definition of marriage are not primarily political issues theyare first Kingdom of God issues. May the law of the land conform to God’sproclamation (so I pray) but if not we still know who has the only final authority tocreate with words and speech.

This calls on us to do more that just speak out against what is not (wrong) it callson us to proclaim what is true and good. If we cannot do that, then we must remainsilent for we will not be proclaiming Christ’s Kingdom – no, we will just be griping. Unfortunately, there’s been too much griping passed off as “biblical preaching.” What’s the difference?

When Peter called the crowd to realize that they had crucified God’s Messiah itwould have been griping if his only goal was to make them feel bad or to prove howterrible they were. (And wouldn’t that have been hypocritical on Peter’s part – afterall where was he when Jesus was on trial?) Griping offers no hope. But to thepeople who were suddenly feeling hopeless and lost because they had crucifiedtheir rescuer and promised King Peter speaks for God when he says – “Repent, andbe baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may beforgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you,for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our Godcalls to him.” (Acts 2:38)

Helping Others Find the “Hope of Glory”

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. (Colossians 1:25-28)

Last Sunday was exceptional! Numerous people opened homes Saturday night to the Harding University Singers and returned the chorus to study and worship Sunday morning. Curtis McDonald and his crew (Bob Fisher, Jack and Glenda Lewis, Joe Parker, Maxine Yates) arrived early Sunday to prepare our fellowship meal. Though the Family Life Center was the site of a wedding reception Saturday afternoon, the “set up” crew (David Berger, Bruce Davenport, Kerry Jenkins, and helpers) had tables and chairs ready for several hundred people to eat lunch on Sunday. Numerous people brought desserts to go with our meal.

After dismissal Betty Porter fell against a pew and sustained a large cut. Many immediately came to her rescue. Dr. Larry Armstrong took her to the hospital and attended to her physical needs. In less than an hour she was home and doing well.

By 12:30 p.m. all were fed (781 were in attendance for worship). A “clean up” crew (including lots of teen help) stored the tables and chairs, then prepared the area for an afternoon birthday party.

The Harding University Singers sang at 1 p.m. to a good audience.

Sunday morning in worship Chris spoke passionately about being a community of God’s people living under the cross. [Link to sermon.] We refuse to be an unattached group who merely knows what God achieved in Jesus’ cross and resurrection. We choose to be a community who individually and collectively are formed by God’s achievements in Jesus’ cross and resurrection.

A biblical shift is occurring among us that we need to understand well. The shift: society and the world will be touched by Christ when Christians have the courage to be missional individuals. Past concepts of church growth commonly saw the congregations as super markets. Our goal was to offer better programs than everyone else. People would choose us because we offered “the best programs” to be found.

The missional emphasis: be a person whose whole life belongs to God. Help form a community who reflects God. Call people to a changed existence because of God’s accomplishments in Christ. We exist, not to challenge people to choose us, but to challenge people to choose God. We exist to encourage people continually to come closer to God. We challenge people to serve the Christ, our hope of glory.

Am I Ruled By God?

Posted by David on April 29, 2004 under Bulletin Articles

In one consideration, being ruled by God is a simple consideration. The person, by choice, gives God control of his/her life. The person makes the will of God the top priority and concern in decisions made, choices picked, and directions taken. While it is understood that there may be a great amount of thought or discussion about “what is God’s will in this matter,” God’s will is the priority concern.

In another consideration, being ruled by God is a complex consideration. The complexity comes in knowing one’s motives. “Am I doing this for me or for God? Am I merely conforming to the expectations of my past and other people, or am I surrendering to God? Am I trying to manipulate God or serve God? Am I trying to make the important people in my life happy or am I seeking to bring joy to God? Does this arise from faith in myself or faith in God?” Those are hard questions to answer honestly! They focus on the truth that response to God must be internal as well as external.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Come be with us Sunday evening as we continue to study Coming to Christ in search for a better understanding of God’s rule.

Being Christ’s Witnesses

Posted by Chris on April 25, 2004 under Sermons

BEING CHRIST’S WITNESSES

Intro: After Jesus’ resurrection, he spends forty days ofinstruction and fellowship with his disciples.Because he lives, he is able to form a truthful community of people whoare forever changed by being in the presence of the living Lord.
Read Acts 1:1-11

Q & A with Jesus
Luke summarizes what must have been a fascinating forty days by reporting one brief dialogue betweenJesus and the apostles just before his ascension.

1. The disciples have a question: Is it now that you’re goingto restore the Kingdom of God?
2. Jesus’ answer establishes the relationship that this new community has with the Creator Godand the living Lord, he gives them instructions about what they must do – butit is rooted in who they are because of their encounter with the Lord: Godwill restore his kingdom according to his plan. As for you …

Let us confirm and confess that God is incharge. He rules. His rule is over all the earth and in thechurch we live by that rule – that’s why the church is a visible representationof God’s kingdom – because he rules. Heestablished the kingdom in Christ through the cross and the resurrection.
If we can trust the kingdom establishment andrestoration to God, then let’s consider what it means to live as his communitygathered beneath the cross worshiping the crucified savior who is also therisen, living King. What does it meanfor us to BE his witnesses? We will explore this bytaking a look at three pairs of words …

Knowing and Being

1. Restoration is about people.
   • The restoration of kingdom is not establishment of an institution or political territory – it isabout the restoration of obedient people.The term kingdom when used of God’s kingdom does not refer to politicalterritory. His realm is the whole universe. Kingdoms are made up of people ruled by aLord – otherwise you just have land.
   • So, the term kingdom may also refer to “rule” or “reign” – If God is to restore his kingdom then it means more than people knowing about the boundaries and laws and it means more than knowing who is in and who is out. It calls for change – a change to our very being. The kind of change that happens when we encounter the good news about the kingdom.
2. “Being in the know” is not the goal.
   • We are not the keepers of truth and gospel. We are witnesses to the truth.This makes quite a difference, for truth and gospel are not commodities that we can hoard or market. God is nota secret waiting to be revealed. God reveals himself.
   • The DaVinci Code -A secret society keeps a secret about Jesus, and only those in the know andthose who can find the clues and secrets can be in on the truth – and accordingto the book, the church is aware of itand they keep it secret and promote a lie that suits their purposes.
   • We are not a group that initiated people into our “club” if they know allthe secret wisdom. We publiclydemonstrate a different kind of living that is based on the presence andexistence of the Risen Christ.   (See David Chadwell’s bulletin article below about what it means to BE Christ’s witnesses and the community beneath the cross.)  We are not the guardians of the truthfor the truth speaks for itself, we are witnesses to it and we stand convictedand changed by it.
3. Being who we know is the Kingdom way …
   • We are witnesses to the living Christ because we have “beheld him” andexperienced his presence – I mean this collectively – as a church, a peoplesurrounded by a cloud of witnesses trailing back to the first “eye-witnesses.”
   • Rather than being in the know we are called to BE who we know – JesusChrist.

Church and Witness

1. A witness is a witness because of something that has happened.
   • One cannot train to be a witness.It is not a role or a title. One is a witness because he/she has seen, heard, experienced something. Something has happened to the person or around the person and he/she experienced it.
   • It may have changed you – but you didn’t necessarily have anything to dowith it. [9/11- changed many who witnessed it]
2. The apostles witnessed the risen Lord.
   • And that is why they are “church.”
   • Recall that Christ appears to over 500 after his resurrection (1 Corinthians 15)
3. Good leaders stay true to this (Acts 1:22)
   • Eleven Witnesses wasn’t enough, why? Because this is a witnessing community – not just individuals.Many share in this common experience of the gospel event.
   • The criteria for leadership among the apostles is a witness to the risen Lord (Acts 1:12-15) -even Paul witnesses the risen Christ and it changes him (Acts 9).
   • We just “are” witnesses because we have believed in something revealed – something we witnessed and something affirmed since the time of the first eyewitnesses.

Power and Prayer

1. We continue to witness the active work of God among us. If he is living (and we affirm this) then he is still present. That means he is capable of action.
2. Jesus promises empowerment from God. It is a gift.
3. The first “work” of the church is prayer.
   • “I have so much to do that I cannot begin the day without three hours of prayer” – Martin Luther
   • This is our problem. Ourvalues are upside down – we believe that prayer is the seasoning for the maincourse. In reality, prayer is the root,stem and leaves – our effort is just a blossom.
   • We have a hard time believing that prayer actually gets anything done. We are a little too secular and we want things that we can chart and measure and plan. We want to meet needs and fix problems. We tend to believe prayer is good for the soul, but little else.

Be Still and Know That I Am God
When I ministered for the church in Lake Jackson, Texas, three of us attended a wonderful evangelism conference. We were heading home and buzzing about all of our ideas to take what we had learned and put it into action at Lake Jackson. Halfway home we ran out of gas. I was driving and I have only run out of gas twice in my whole life (and the first time it was the car’s fault – a bad gas guage). So now the three of us sat in a van with no gas on I-45 near Fairfield, TX.We were stopped in our tracks and this gave us time to recall that the first work of the church is prayer. All of our ideas and enthusiasm could not match the power available to us as a gift from the living Lord.
So my companions and I were brought before God in prayer. It was for the church that we prayed. It was for the lost that we prayed. It was for the future that we prayed. As the world rushed on at 70 mph, we sat and prayed. All of our talk about plans and programs (evangelism) and busy-ness were put aside. There was only one thing that we needed to do – and it wasn’t finding gasoline. We prayed.

Running out of fuel is so symbolic of where we often find ourselves in all of our “busy-ness.” Even our church busy-ness can be a distraction from letting God work, and paying attention to that so we can BE his witnesses. If only we would pray more and ask God to give us what we need and allow him to use us as he wants.

Will we stop to be changed in order to BE the witness he needs us to be? When we disregard or neglect prayer and worship, what are we saying? Do we believe the power and the work is up to us or God? When we bear all the responsibility aren’t we acting as if we have all the authority and ability – even if we would never admit that publicly? Our actions must be consistent with our belief because church is a matter of BEING Christ’s witnesses.

God, Please Hear My Prayer

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

“God, open my eyes to Your holiness, purity, and goodness. Help me not make You as I wish You to be in order to serve my own interest, but help me see You as You are. Help me realize that it is in seeing You as You are that enables me to see myself as I am. Help me understand that it is only in seeing You as You are that I become aware of how desperately I need You. Help me never doubt that You seek my eternal best interest.

“My world is such a confusing place! It so easily deceives me! It makes me think that the destructive is good for me, that the unimportant is the important, that the temporary is forever, that physical pleasure is my ultimate good, and that security is found in possessions rather than in You. The more physical things I have, the emptier I become. The only enduring peace I experience is the peace that comes when I am full of You. It is Your kingdom, not my wants, that gives my life meaning. It is your will, not my physical desires, that give my life purpose. Help me find my meaning in You!

“Give my mind the eyes to see that every truly good thing that exists in my life is a gift from Your hands. I have so much that it is easy to be selfish. Because so much is available to me daily, it is simple to depend on “my abilities” rather than Your love. As You said to Abraham, may I hear You say to me that I am blessed to be a blessing. May I not search for my meaning in wealth, but in You.

“May in my experiencing Your grace, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion I ceaselessly be challenged to fill my life and actions with grace, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion in all my interactions with others. May I know You made me to reflect You. May I know the only one who reflected You perfectly was Jesus. May I increasingly yield myself to mirroring You in my life. May I understand that if I fail to reflect You to others, I fail in the basic purpose You give my existence.

“I have no hope when I confront Satan in my life and my world unless You are with me. Keep Your promise to never desert me. Give me the courage to trust this promise. Because of this promise, may I never stop using Your strength to confront evil in my life and my world. In the hope of my forgiveness, may I live in and share Your joy!

“Through my perfect mediator and intercessor I come to Your throne of grace in boldness, awe, and reverence!”

Coming to Christ, part 2, “Our Purpose in Coming”

Posted by David on April 18, 2004 under Sermons

All of us have known someone who had “tunnel vision.” By “tunnel vision” I mean a person who focused exclusively on one view, one concept so that is all he or she saw. That one concern became “the explanation” for everything that happened in the families, or in the country, or in the world.

If we would be honest with ourselves and others, it is likely that all of us suffer at times from “tunnel vision.” You usually can detect “tunnel vision” by the questions asked. Very complex matters are reduced to single, simple declarations.

Let me give some examples of questions that warn us “tunnel vision” is just ahead. “Do you know what is wrong with American families? Let me tell you what is wrong with American families!” “Do you know what is wrong with our government? I can tell you what is wrong with our government!” “Do you know what is wrong with our economy? This is what is wrong with our economy!” “Do you know what is wrong with our world? Let me tell you what is wrong with our world!” “Do you know what is wrong with the church? I can tell you what is wrong with the church!”

Usually people who suffer from “tunnel vision” are quite sincere and very serious. Their concern may be a legitimate concern. The difficulty: their concern in a complex matter is just one problem of many problems.

Sometimes our study of the Bible is limited because of a type of “tunnel vision.” We hear something so much, we are taught how to look at something so consistently, that we think only one thought when we hear a scripture or look at a subject. I am not talking about adding something that is not there. I am talking about seeing everything that is there.

1. Let me give you a possible example of “tunnel vision” in the study of scripture.
   1. When I say Genesis 1 (the first chapter in the Bible), what do you think?
      1. Probably all of us think, “Creation,” God’s acts bring the world and life into existence.
      2. When I say “creation” what do you think?
         1. Do you think, “I sure would like to know the answers to questions arising from the clash between creation and evolution”?
         2. Do you think, “I sure would like to know where dinosaurs fit in”?
         3. Do you think, “That is the beginning of history”?
         4. Do you think, “That tells me how life began”?
         5. Do you think, “That is the beginning of the Bible story”?
         6. Just what is it that you focus on when you hear the word “creation”?
   2. Do you ever think that Genesis 1 holds the key to understanding the basic problem addressed in the entire Bible?
      1. Do you ever think that if you want to understand God’s actions throughout the whole Bible, you need to begin by understanding a truth in Genesis l?
      2. First consider some statements from Genesis 1.
         Genesis 1:26,27 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
         1. The “us” in this statement is likely not a reference to the trinity, but use of language of a mighty king making a pronouncement, which was a common way that a Near Eastern king made pronouncements.
         2. God completed His creation by creating human beings, His most important creative act, the crown jewel of His creation, His touch of completion.
         3. He made them in the image and likeness of God.
         4. “Image” and “likeness” is about more than what we lost when we sinned.
         5. God’s purpose for people was to reflect Himself.
         6. He placed some of His qualities in humans–they were creatures of choice who were capable of exercising independence; they were made to rule.
      3. Genesis 1:31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.
         1. Question: why was it very good?
         2. Answer: God’s creation reflected God’s goodness.
         3. The sovereign king could look at His creation and see something that reflected Who and What He was.
      4. Hundreds of years later, Paul wrote this about God’s creation in Romans 8:18-22:
         For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
         1. Paul made this statement in his discussion of Christian suffering.
         2. This statement is based on some deep theology.
         3. However, there is one fact this is simple and evident: creation did not serve the role or fulfill the purpose God intended for it.
         4. That means we did not serve the role or fulfill the purpose God intended for us.
         5. What was that role, that purpose? To reflect God.
         6. Instead of reflecting God, we rejected God’s sovereignty and reflected sin (evil).
         7. The crowning jewel, God’s touch of completion, rejected God’s sovereignty and reflected God’s bitter enemy instead of reflecting God.

2. Consider this illustration.
   1. God created, completed the creation with humans, looked at what He had made, and was deeply pleased–His good creation reflected His own goodness.
      1. I have no idea how much time passed from Genesis 1 to the rebellion in Genesis 3, but in this period God was perfectly at ease with humans, and humans were perfectly at ease with God.
      2. Genesis 3:8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
         1. The first time they were uncomfortable with and felt threatened by God’s presence was after their rebellion, after their rejection of God’s sovereignty.
         2. Why did they rebel? Why did they reject God’s sovereignty?
      3. Genesis 3:1b-5 And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
         1. “Has God ever told you a whopper!”
         2. “You won’t die!”
         3. “He knows you will be like Him!”
         4. Note that when Eve examined the tree, among other things she saw that the tree was “desirable to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6).
   2. From the moment they rebelled against God and thereby rejected God’s sovereignty until what you and I understand to be the final judgment, God has had a common objective: to reassert His sovereignty over a rebellious creation.
      1. God did not wish to destroy His creation, but to reclaim His creation.
      2. Sure He could have used His power to destroy and end the rebellion.
      3. But He wanted to give humanity opportunity to voluntarily accept His sovereignty and return to relationship with Him.
      4. That is why Christians exercise the choice to be part of God’s kingdom.
   3. Perhaps your reaction is, “That is all very interesting but also a very unnecessary understanding.”
      1. May I assure you that it is not an unnecessary understanding.
      2. May I assure you that this understanding is the very core of living for God.

3. “David, why would you make a statement like that? Why would you dare suggest that restoring God’s sovereignty is the core reason for being in God’s kingdom?”
   1. The problem is reflected in these attitudes:
      1. “How can a person go to heaven and stay out of hell–barely?”
      2. “Please teach me how to live like I want to and not pay any consequences for it.”
      3. “Show me where the Bible says that I will go to hell for watching pornography, or destroying somebody’s marriage, or being aggressive in business (greed), or finding pleasure?”
      4. We even have our justifications:
         1. “God wants me to be happy.”
         2. “X will make me happy.”
         3. “God wants me to do this ungodly thing so I can be happy.”
      5. The result of all such reasoning is that we look at the New Testament as a Christian’s rule book.
         1. “If I keep the rules, God has to save me!”
         2. The trick is to get as close to the line without crossing it–so I want to know precisely where God draws it.
   2. This entire way of reasoning misses the point of Christian existence.
      1. The question is not [and never has been!], “How can I stay out of hell?”
      2. The question is [and always has been!], “How does this allow me to reflect God in who I am and the way I live.”
   3. In fifty years, people have asked me a lot of questions and lectured me on a number of things.
      1. “Do you think I can marry this person and it be okay with God?”
      2. “Do you think God will just overlook my affair?”
      3. “Do you think it would be okay to take this if I promise God to give Him half of it?”
      4. “God would hate that person, too, if that person treated God like he/she treats me!”
      5. “I don’t read anywhere in the Bible that says this is wrong!”
   4. We are giving ourselves the wrong answers and coming to the wrong conclusions because we do not ask the right question.
      1. God made us to reflect Him.
      2. When we live or act in ways that do not reflect God, we reject our created purpose.
      3. It is not about “keeping the right rules;” it is about reflecting God by accepting His sovereignty.

We have kept our focus fixed so tightly on commands that we often cannot see God. Its an old mistake. The nation of Israel made it frequently. The Pharisees made that mistake big time. If we are not careful, we will repeat the same mistake.

1 John 3:1-10 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

Is your life committed to reflecting God?

The Community Beneath the Cross

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Order of Worship and Discipleship:

THE COMMUNITY BENEATH THE CROSS

During my college years I was involved with the Razorbacks for Christ campus ministry. Every semester we had a spiritual retreat and there was a popular retreat center we went to more than once in Oklahoma. The panorama window at the retreat conference room looked out on a field which ended at a river. Beyond the river was a low mountain ridge that would be multi-colored in the fall and green in the spring. But there was one constant feature on that mountain ridge – a huge white cross that stood up among the trees. It even glowed at night.

Not knowing what to expect, we got out of the car and walked up the road. As we climbed the hill with the gravel crunching beneath our feet we saw the top of the white cross rise up in our view. It was large and high. We pushed on more eagerly until we came to level ground. Now we had the whole cross in our field of view; it towered above us. But now we saw a new sight that amazed us – there was a little community built around the cross. The cross was actually a water tower. It was in the center of a little community that had two or three houses, a chapel, a barn, and a garage for trucks and equipment. The area directly under the cross was a small park with a bench and a little spire that had "Peace on Earth" inscribed on it in many languages. We lingered for some time in the community beneath the cross then we returned to the retreat center. Back at the retreat center we looked at the familiar cross on the mountain landscape with a new fascination. It looked the same as it always had, but now we knew that there was a community gathered beneath that cross. It made the cross seem alive somehow.

The community my friends and I saw that day was organized and formed around the cross. Using this story as a parable, let the symbol of the cross represent the gospel and the reign of Christ, and let the community represent the church. I believe the church is meant to be a community beneath the cross. The cross is the community’s source of existence; it is a sign for the community; and it gives the community its shape.

The Cross as the Source of Community – [Being the Gospel]
1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
The cross – a water tower – was a source of life for the community. The good news of the cross and the resurrection is a source of life for those who are added to God’s community. We see this very vividly in baptism, which is a participation in the gospel event – there is a death and resurrection. Baptism is an anchor event in the life of a believer. Paul claimed that recalling one’s baptism was the reason for avoiding sin – the life of a believer is draws from a new set of values (Romans 6).
Against the powers of evil and conflict, the cross proclaims victory — Jesus our King is our champion.
In a world full of deceit and corruption, the cross proclaims truth — Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
During moments of doubt and emptiness, the cross proclaims fulfillment — Jesus is the Son of God who shows us who we really are.
In the midst of suffering and shame, the cross proclaims companionship — Jesus is the Suffering Servant who endures suffering with us.
Against the condemnation and failure of sin, the cross proclaims forgiveness – Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

The church is weakened when powers other than the power of the gospel function as its source of life. For instance, when tradition and custom eclipse the gospel, the church is fueled by a limited source. Paul says that wisdom and well-crafted arguments are not a worthy substitute for the gospel (1 Corinthians 2:1-2). When strong personalities and human effort eclipse the gospel, the church becomes confused about who is truly its Lord and founder. Paul says that his role in establishing congregations and their regard for his work really doesn’t amount to much. And for that matter, no one can single out a special role for himself or herself in church leadership since the church is the result of God’s effort and all of us are servants in that work (1 Corinthians 3:4-9). We get ahead of ourselves and make a claim for ourselves that even the apostles would not make when we claim that building the church is our responsibility. The message of Acts is that faithful disciples became the agents of God as they were empowered by God’s Holy Spirit. Is it arrogant or presumptuous to claim that we are empowered by God’s spirit? Well, one certainly can make spiritual claims in a presumptuous manner (and that often means making such claims individually rather than communally). But how much more presumptuous and arrogant is it to assume that we can do anything without God’s spiritual empowerment? If the cross and all it represents is not our source – then what is?

The Cross as the Sign of the Community [Saying the Gospel]
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

The community beneath the cross never takes the attention away from Christ or the gospel. Remember from the parable that it was the cross that attracted us to that community. My friends and I began our quest to discover the meaning of the cross. We found the community by seeking the cross. In a culture in which people are urged to find the “the church of their choice,” we need to resist the temptation to become the most popular church by presenting ourselves. If our message is about who we are, then our message is off-topic. On the day of Pentecost, the church was established with power, but the topic of the sermon was the church – Peter’s message was about the Lordship of Christ (Acts 2:36). Paul came to Corinth resolved only to preach Christ (1 Corinthians 2:2). People’s tastes in “church” might change, but the message of Christ and his cross is a constant. People are seeking a church home because they are ultimately seeking God. We are the companions and community that meet and are gathered together as we are drawn to the cross. (John 12:32).

Of course, some people may encounter the community before they see the cross. Imagine if my friends and I were just hiking along through those hills and came upon this little community. In that case, the community would be the first thing we see and the cross would be noticeable as we moved closer. Sometimes, we are the sign for the cross. That’s not wrong. We do need to live up to our name – not simply for our sake but for the sake of the world. Jesus didn’t ignore the fact that our community would be a witness and we would be proclaimers in word and action.

The Cross as the Shape of the Community [Doing the Gospel]
John 13:34-35 “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The love for one another is not simply directed inwardly. The church does what Jesus does. We demonstrate compassion, love and service to all – within the church and without. Our mission has all of creation in view. The parable of the community beneath the cross also suggests that the church is connected to the surrounding culture and world. That little community beneath the cross was part of the mountain landscape. It had not separated itself or isolated itself from the landscape in such a way that it was inaccessible. We are in the world, but not of the world.
Jesus describes the church as salt, light, and leaven. Each of these items effect a change: salt preserves and adds flavor, light illuminates, and leaven causes dough to rise. They effect change because they maintain their distinctiveness. This is why Jesus warned us not to lose our saltiness. However, maintaining our distinctiveness in isolation is not an option. Salt, light and leaven act within their environment – salt works within food, light works within darkness, leaven works within dough. As a community beneath the cross, the church is the community formed at the intersection of the gospel and the world that is reordered and transformed by that gospel. The church, like our Lord, is an incarnation of the gospel. What does the church of Christ look like, well very simply it looks like Christ. We act and serve in his name.

There is an image of a community beneath the cross that came out of the aftermath of 9/11. Rescue workers who risked their lives gathered beneath a cross formed out of the pain and suffering of tragedy. This little community didn’t think of itself – it thought of the lost. But in their mission to rescue the lost, they acknowledged that they too needed to be saved. The mission of the church in the world is not self-preservation. How could it be if our Lord’s mission was not self-preservation but sacrifice? In truth the church has no mission that it can call its own. The mission is God’s – he takes the initiative. He reaches out in love to create a world. He reaches out in love to transform that world when it is corrupted by sin. God is the first evangelist – he sends his son Jesus not to condemn the world but to seek and save that which is lost – which includes us.

We often call the sinners – the lost. I think we would do well to call ourselves the found so that we will remember that the church is the gathering of those who are being saved by the power of the gospel. We are not something special on our own. None of us arrived already saved. All of us were the lost who are now gathered in by God’s grace. So, the church moves through the world as a servant and a testimony of God’s power. Our mission is not to stride through the world as though we own it. We are not called to appear as people who have it all together, know all the answers, never make mistakes, and are always successful. Paul proclaimed his faults, weaknesses, and failures so that he could proclaim the power of God – and he urged us to do the same … (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). ²⁶ Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; ²⁸ God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, ²⁹ so that no one might boast in the presence of God. ³⁰ He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, ³¹ in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

We, the found, are now empowered by God’s spirit and sent to participate in His mission. So our mission as the church is God’s mission. We are formed by the cross and we lift it up so that all will be drawn to it. If they come to Christ, they will come in among us – the Community Beneath the Cross.

Is Jesus Big Enough To Be Your Christ?

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

Matthew 9:2-8 And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”-then He *said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” And he got up and went home. But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

This is a fascinating incident in Jesus’ ministry! Both the paralyzed man and his friends had enormous faith just to come to Jesus. I have no question but that they came anticipating a healing of the paralysis. Jesus gave them more than expected which they likely regarded as less than expected. He assured the man he was forgiven. Forgiveness of sins is eternal. Ending paralysis is as temporary as life in this physical world.

The healing occurred as a result of the reaction of critics instead of the man’s need. The critics said among themselves that Jesus had no right to forgive sins. How dare this human assume to do something only God did!

Jesus responded by asking which was easier: to forgive the man’s sins or to heal his paralysis? To demonstrate he could do both, he healed the paralysis. Those who witnessed the event gave God the glory for giving such authority to men.

Ironically, we are more unlikely to question Jesus’ power to forgive but question his power to do the incredible and unexpected. Ask a person if Jesus can forgive him/her, and the person likely will respond, “Certainly!” Ask the same person if Jesus has the power to change him as a person or her as a person, and the likely response will be, “I doubt it!” Thus Christians likely rely heavily on forgiveness and little on transformation. We desperately want forgiveness, but are hesitant to want change.

There is never a moment we do not need Jesus’ forgiveness, but the objective of forgiveness is internal transformation (change) that ends external disobedience. Remember the sinful lady Jesus rescued (John 8:11)? “Go. From now on sin no more.”

Every moment in a Christian’s life he/she receives forgiveness. Yet, never forget God forgives us in the expectation that we will change.

Colossians 3:1-4 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.