Did Jesus really hate religion? I guess it all depends on what you mean by your definition of "religion". In the last week, a youtube video uploaded by Jefferson Bethke has gone viral. Viral....as in 13 million views... in one week! Ah...the power of social media. In case you've been living under a rock and haven't seen this yet...watch this first.
Jefferson's video immediately grew huge praise....and criticism. It drew praise from many who understood "religion" one way....and curses from those who understood it a different way. His words were definitely misinterpreted by many. However, he could have chosen better verbiage throughout this poem to truly communicate how he feels about true faith.
The first time I watched it..I understood what he was talking about. Jefferson is bashing the religion that promotes self righteousness, works salvation and takes the place of knowing God intimately. We've all been there and done that. I understood it from the angle of Jesus' trashing the Pharisees religiosity of His day. Need a reminder of that? Read this -
There is no doubt in my mind that the "religion" of the pharisees is what Jesus wants done away with! The problem is that most people associate the word "religion" with prayer, bible study and going to church. So when somebody hears "Jesus came to abolish religion!"...they freak out. Jesus doesn't want me to read my bible? Jesus doesn't want me to go to church? Jesus doesn't want me to pray? No..no...no! It's impossible to celebrate our faith without observing the "religious" practices that Jesus himself instituted. Jesus prayed. Jesus knew the scripture. Jesus taught and worshipped in the synagouge. Jesus was religous. However...you never see Jesus insert what he does "for" God the Father with his relationship "with" God the Father.
That's the problem I have with religion. It's when people think they are ok...based upon what they do for God. Our religious practices (prayer, bible reading, church attendance, feeding the poor, taking care of orphans & widows etc.) propel us forward in our relationship with God. However...they are never a substitute. Salavation is based upon the Grace of God alone in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross!
Does Jesus hate religion? It all depends on how you define it.
What are you willing to sacrifice so that the Gospel will transform your city? To really reach our cities with the Gospel it's going to take sacrifice. It's going to be at times uncomfortable and awkward. The Gospel cost Jesus and it will cost you & I to share it as well. That's just the plain truth.
Very few Chistians share their faith with the world. The ones that do share their faith, know what to say...but don't know how to express it in their life. Most know how to tell the ABC's of salavation....but don't know how to translate this "good news" into actions. As the old saying goes....actions speak louder than words. When is the last time you showed the world Good News?
My kids are still very young (11, 9 & 6). They are good kids but they are kids. When they do get in trouble they always tell me that they will never do it again. They say that they are very sorry...and they plead for forgiveness. I always forgive them. But, I always tell them the same thing. "Don't tell me....show me". I want them to know now that talk is cheap. You can tell me you are sorry everyday...but if you never show me than I don't believe it.
You can tell the world that Jesus saves. You can tell the world everyday that there is Good News in the world...but if you don't show it...does it matter? The world has heard enough sermons. They need to start seeing some. What are some ways we can show "good news" through actions in our city? After all...how can we talk of the life transforming message of the Gospel if it hasn't changed us? Do share...what are you doing in your city. What are ways we can show love and demonstrate "good news".
I'm not going to wax eloquent today. Listen to the words of the prophecy...they speak of Jesus. Thank you, Jesus!
Isaiah 53 (NIV)
1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.[b] 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes[c] his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e]; by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g] and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[h] because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Big Ben will go down as a Hall of Fame Quarterback in the NFL. He is a very talented player and plays for one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. I should know...I lived in Western Pennsylvania for about 5 years. The Steelers breathe life into the Steel City and the entire region. Big Ben came into the league and had instantaneous success. It didn't take Pittsburgh fans long to fall in love with Ben.
One of the things, that became apparent in Ben's life and to the world, was his faith. Big Ben is a Christian. Ben even sought to have the following initials on his cleats, "PFJ". PFJ stands for "Play for Jesus". A likable guy? Yes. Talented? Oh yeah! Role model?...yep. So what's the problem?
Ben made poor choices. One who gives God glory on the field and in the locker room is also expected to do the same in private. If you are going to talk the talk...you have to walk the walk. About a year ago, Big Ben was accused of sexually assaulting not one...but two women. I won't go into the details. It's bad enough. Big Ben was not charged with any crimes but his reputation was tarnished.
Now, you may be saying...Dan, isn't this post just a tad late? This is old news. Yes, yes it is. However, Ben is making headlines again today in announcing his upcoming marriage. He also has announced that he won't be living with his fiance until they are married this June.
This has raised many questions. Why would Ben, live such a carefree lifestyle, having sex with multiple women...to now want to live to a higher standard? Because he is human. He screwed up. He has asked for forgiveness and has been granted grace and fresh start. A very smart move. I understand it. I get it. The rest of the world doesn't. Every choice you make matters. The bad ones and even the good ones.
We should not hold his sins against him since God has forgiven him. However, the one thing that we can't get off our mind is his name. Ben's nights of passion will be remembered as his biggest folly. He'll be remembered by many as the guy who said he wanted to live like Jesus but really lived like Hugh Hefner.
Your name is valuable. Don't believe me? What images or thoughts come to your mind when you read these names.
Tiger Woods.
Albert Einstein.
Barry Bonds.
Charlie Sheen.
Billy Graham.
Mother Theresa.
Dan Sardinas.
Your name.
Just hearing a person's name can paint a picture. It paints a picture of what people remember the most. Unfortunately that's the way it is. Some people will remember Ben the Super Bowl Champion. Some will remember the Ben the guy who couldn't keep his pants on.
What does the bible say about protecting your name?
"A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." - Proverbs 22:1 (NIV)
"A good name is better than fine perfume..." Ecclesiastes 7:1
What if you are thinking right now..."Ok..Dan. I've blown it. I've really screwed up. My name is tarnished. What now?"
There is good news. Even though the consequences of sin does not go away....there is still hope. There is peace. There is forgiveness. There is grace. There is renewal. The gospel doesn't let us go back in time...but it does give us freedom to not be weighed down from the guilt of our past. There is grace available. The gospel gives us all a brand new fresh start. Thank God for good news.
What's your legacy? What do people think of when they hear your name? What are you doing to protect your name? Do you need forgiveness? A fresh start?
Ben got a fresh start. His name will be ruined in the eyes of many people. But he now stands forgiven and set free in the eyes of God. How about you?
I just finished preaching through the book of Jonah at The Way Church of Cape Coral. I love the book of Jonah. It's a book that's often overlooked as a "children's story". However, that couldn't be further from the truth. Jonah is a story of God's grace, mercy and restoration. It's a story of a preacher who was given a second chance. Jonah tells an entire enemy city, of the God of second chances. It's a remarkable story. If the story had ended in chapter 3, we would have thought it would have been a nice ending. But it doesn't end there.
Chapter 4 shows us the true heart of Jonah. We see the real reason he ran from God and fled to Tarshish. He hated Ninevah. Jonah was....well... pretty prejudiced. The thought of God saving these wicked people did not sit well with Jonah. How dare God extend love, grace, and forgiveness to his enemies. The very though made Jonah wish he were dead! Jonah even perched himself a safe distance outside the city walls to watch the city burn! A little dramatic? Yep.
The part of Jonah chapter 4 that truly convicted me was the object lesson that God gave Jonah. God wanted Jonah to see exactly how ridiculous he was. Jonah was truly miserable under the oppressive heat. So God made a plant/vine to grow to give Jonah shade. This made Jonah very happy.
God does something brilliant. Jonah 4:7-9 says:
"But before sunrise the next day, God sent a worm. It chewed the vine so much that it dried up. When the sun rose, God sent a burning east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah's head. It made him very weak. He wanted to die. So he said, "I'd rather die than live." But God said to Jonah, "Do you have any right to be angry about what happened to the vine? I do," he said. "In fact, I'm angry enough to die."
Jonah the "prophet" of God was so distracted by his comfort that he loses the importance of people. He was given Grace and refused to allow others to receive the same Grace he had received. Now he sank so low that he cares more about a plant/vine that he does for real people. He is angry about a vine dying....when he wanted 120,000 people to die. Wow. What truly matters?
What did God say? Jonah 4:10-11
"But the Lord said, "You have been concerned about this vine. But you did not take care of it. You did not make it grow. It grew up in one night and died the next. Nineveh has more than 120,000 people. They can't tell right from wrong. Nineveh also has a lot of cattle. So shouldn't I show concern for that great city?"
The question for me, then becomes....what has me so distracted that I miss the lostness of the world? Jonah was distracted by the comfort of the plant that brought him shade. What do I care more about than showing people Jesus? For me the answer is easy. I am distracted by technology. I live for the latest Apple product. I read the rumors, blogs everyday to see what's coming out next. What truly matters?
If I had to choose tomorrow to give up my iPhone over reaching one person...what would my answer be? In so many ways "I AM JONAH". How about you?
Before I begin...I want to share how I became aware of Rob Bell.
I first became aware of Rob Bell by attending the C3 2005 conference in Grapevine, Texas. The conference was hosted by Pastor Ed Young at Fellowship Church. Rob spoke once and what he spoke on captivated the entire room. Rob said that true discipleship was "being covered in the dust of your Rabbi". A statement that rattled and still rattles my brain as I think through its implications. It revolutionized my thinking on discipleship. When I got home I instantly began searching for more teaching from Rob. I then discovered that he was the guy behind all of those cool "Nooma" videos. I had never watched one but had heard much about them.
From there I dove into Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants To Save Christians & Drops Like Stars. Each one of these books was a great experience. They challenged me and made me ask the questions that made my journey more rewarding. I then went out and purchased every single Nooma that came out. I attended 2 of his speaking tours "The gods aren't angry" & "Drops like Stars". I even went out to a pastor's conference he hosted at Mars Hill named "Isn't She Beautiful". I never fully agreed with 100% of the content, but then who do you fully agree with? I took the great truths I learned and became more aware of what God was doing in and through me in the world. To say that Rob had been a help and inspiration to me as believer & pastor would be an understatement.
I heart Rob Bell. I admit it. However, after reading the book that perception of Rob is changing. I need some therapy after reading this. I can't justify some of the things that he says that I believe are in complete contradiction to Gospel of Jesus. I can't say I'm really surprised. I have read and heard many things by him over the years that made me wonder. Well.....here we go.
Before you jump to any conclusions I invite you to read the book yourself. Or...hear from Rob explain it.
Synopsis : What is the main message of the book?
God is Love. Because God is Love..nobody will spend an eternity apart from God in "Hell". A truly loving God can't send anyone to a literal place of torment for eternity. God gets what He wants....(that none should perish). God's love will eventually melt the hearts of all people and everyone will come to know God's Love. Although Rob doesn't say it (it is obviously implied)....there is no literal place called Hell. The Hell that the Rob talks about is only a present reality. We choose Hell when we reject God's Love. It is important to note that Rob is NOT a universalist. He still believes that a person has choices to reject God's Love. Christian Universalism says that all will go to Heaven...no matter what they do or want. In Rob's theology...people still choose God.
HELL
Rob begins the book with a story about Gandhi. Someone at a church event put up a note about Gandhi, saying "Reality check: He's in hell." I agree with Rob here when he knocks down this idea about who is in hell. Who really knows that? Only God. Only God knows a person's heart. To say confidentially that someone is 100% in hell is pure speculation.
Rob questions "Of all the billions of people who have ever lived, will only a select number "make it to a better place" and every single other person suffer in torment and punishment forever? Is this acceptable to God? Has God created millions of people over tens of thousands of years who are going to spend eternity in anguish? Can God do this, or even allow this, and still claim to be a loving God?" (page 12 on iBook version of "Love Wins")
In the book Rob argues that Hell is determined by our choices. Rob argues that Hell is all around us. Rob speaks of Hell as the evil that is in the world. A broken, suffering and groaning creation that is yearning for justice. It is through all of this mess that people realize that they need "good news". The Gospel is the hope that God has not given up on the world. Through this gospel we can be saved from our personal hell and end the hell around us. Rob teaches that it's through God's love that these hell's are defeated. Rob says he does believe in hell because he sees the destruction people bring on themselves with their sin and poor choices.
Let me add this note here. I agree halfway with Rob. There is hell all around us. There are Tsunami's, Earthquakes, murders, pride, social injustice, abuse, violence, slavery, poverty, porn, starvation, diseases, financial nightmares, marital unfaithfulness, etc. There are people hurting everyday, everywhere. These "hell's" can't be ignored. We are living in the consequences of a fallen world. However....that's where Rob stops. For me hell is not just a present reality......it's also a very real future reality as well. You can't ignore or replace a future hell for the current hells we all face now in this lifetime. At the same time you can't ignore the current hells in light of eternity. Since eternity is....well....eternal.
The biblical response to this is....that God is a God of Love, yes! But He is also a God of Justice. He is a Holy God. People sin, disobey God and separate themselves apart from God. We deserve hell because "The wages of sin is death......" Obviously I disagree with Rob. I just don't see how you can interpret certain passages on Hell any different. He really tries to reinterpret Luke 16 (Rich man and Lazurus) but does not do it justice. How about this one?
Rob says we shouldn't look at this as who is "in" or "out".
"A gospel that repeatedly, narrowly affirms and bolsters the "in-ness" of one group at the expense of the "out-ness" of another group will not be true to the story that includes "all things and people in heaven and earth". (page 180 on iBook version of "Love Wins")
How do you interpret this any differently?
"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." - Revelation 20:11-15
Hell is to be without God and separated from his presence in a real place for eternity.
HEAVEN
This book is just not about Hell....it's also a book about Heaven. For Rob...the Christian life is not about evacuation. It's about bringing Heaven here. It is not about escaping this earth but awaiting the new creation. The new Heaven and the New earth that God will create. Rob notes that the Bible ends with Heaven crashing into earth. For Rob...Heaven like Hell.....is a present reality. God is restoring and renewing creation until one day this one passes away and a new one is unveiled. God created this world good and He wants to return the shalom (peace) that existed in the garden of eden. Heaven is the completion of God's plan for creation. He created it good....and it ends good. Heaven is a present reality that we bump into everyday here on earth.
I have very little beef with Rob's view of Heaven. I am very much in agreement that living, and breathing the ways of Jesus bring Heaven to earth now.
Rob says - "If you believe that you're going to leave and evacuate to somewhere else, then why do anything about this world? A proper view of Heaven leads not to escape from the world, but to full engagement with it, all with the anticipation of a coming day when things are on earth as they currently are in Heaven." (page 68 on iBook version of "Love Wins")
He says - "Jesus teaches us to pursue the life of Heaven now and also then, anticipating the day when earth and Heaven are one." Sounds a lot like Matthew 6:33. "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness....."
I believe that Heaven is what God fully intended the universe to look like. John explains this in Revelation 20 and it's a beautiful picture! When the gospel is lived out...we bump into Heaven here on earth. It is my view that "being the salt of the earth" & "light of the world" are implications of bringing Heaven to earth now. Heaven is also to be with God in a real place for all eternity.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21: 1-5
THE GOSPEL & THE METAPHOR OF THE CROSS
One of the more troubling aspects of the book is Rob's portrayal of the cross. Rob doesn't deny that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He says,
"'Jesus died on the cross for your sins'. Yes, we know. We've seen that homemade billboard by the side of the road countless times. Anything else?". (page 163 on iBook version of "Love Wins")
It's that lackluster attitude towards the cross that makes me disgusted with the book. Rob continues to argue that the sacrifice that Christ offered on the Cross to God was a metaphor that the first Christians used to explain what happened. He says that It was a metaphor that reminded the first believers of the Old Testament sacrificial system. It was a way to tell the story so that the first Christians (Jews) could understand. Here is the shocking part..... it's a metaphor that no longer applies today. Why? Because Rob says we no longer sacrifice animals.
Wow. This is exactly what Rob says.
"This is especially crucial in light of how many continue to use the sacrificial metaphor in our modern world. There's nothing wrong with talking and singing about how the "Blood will never lose it's power" and "Nothing but the blood will save us." Those are powerful metaphors. But we don't live any longer in a culture in which people offer animal sacrices to the gods. People did live that way for thousands of years, and there are pockets of primitive cultures around the world that do continue to understand sin, guilt, and atonement in those ways. But most of us don't. What the first Christians did was look around them and put the Jesus story in language their listeners would understand." (page 171 -172 on iBook version of "Love Wins")
People...this is not just a metaphor. This is foundational. The atonement on the cross was necessary. It was not just a way for the first Christians to understand it. This is true all throughout scripture...(Abraham, Cain & Abel, The Temple) If we don't understand that God the Father poured out his WRATH on Jesus because of our sin on the cross....we are in loads of trouble!!!!!!
IN CONCLUSION
I really hope I'm wrong. It would be much easier to believe that Rob is right. I want to believe that Rob is right. I really do. It would be so much easier. But he's not.
I believe the book does have it's good parts. It has it bad parts. And then it has it's downright ugly parts. As I said in the beginning of this post. I highly admire Rob. I have been blessed by his teachings. I just can not agree with his view of the Gospel, which ultimately leads to warped views of Hell & God himself.
I agree that love does win. Again and Again. I agree that God is love. God is not just loving. He is the very essence of love. However, to solely focus on this attribute of God and ignore all the others; will allow one (like Rob Bell) to miss the grander story of what is happening in the biblical narrative.
The cross shows us why Hell is real. Jesus took Hell for us so that we can escape getting what we deserve. I deserve Hell. Without Him....I am lost, hopeless and and doomed. In Him, I am found, restored, and invited to live in relationship with the God who made me, forever. The Gospel is not a fire escape. It is how God brings me back into relationship with Himself. The Gospel is also the good news that is lived through my life as a result of being saved by God.
Jesus spoke in parables to describe the Kingdom of God. Parables are stories that have a deeper explanation of truth. Here is my stab at creating a Parable to describe the Kingdom of God. I would love to hear your parallel parables of the Kingdom. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Enjoy.
The Kingdom of God is like a drop of dish soap that falls into a kitchen sink full of dirty dishes. The dish soap multiplies and expands as it mixes with the water. The dish soap starts forming bubbles throughout the entire sink. It is not long after that the entire sink is filled with the bubbles of the dish soap. The dirty dishes now have a way to be cleaned, restored and used again as originally intended. PDV (Pastor Dan Version) :)
This is a article I wrote a while back....it fits here in the Kingdom series.
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only [Son], who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John chapter 1 gives us a very descriptive telling of who Jesus is and what he did and does. We see Him as the WORD who is God. We see him as the creator and the light. If there was any doubt who John was referring to it was clearly cleared up in verse 14. John says that this "Word" (the full expression of God) became flesh (Jesus). Not only did Jesus come but very specifically he came in Grace & Truth. If the Kingdom of God is the central focus of Jesus life and teachings...then "Grace & Truth" is the way it it presented to the world.
Grace is used in various ways throughout the New Testament. The most obvious and often spoken of way is referring to God's unmerited favor towards us. The world needs grace. Jesus came to a world full of veangeance and evil. He came to a world that was the complete opposite of Grace. In fact Jesus was the opposite way in almost every way possible.
The Romans way of expanding their kingdom was through the sword and coersion. Jesus ways of expanding his kingdom was through the ways of Grace & Truth. Complete opposites. The Roman way brought more separation, hurt and war. The ways of Jesus brought salvation, unity, healing and peace.
Jesus died and rose again. He's left the earth to return to his Father in heaven. If Jesus isn't here then how does Grace and Truth continue? My friends that's what the church is all about. The church is the "body of Christ". It is the way that God intends to bring healing and restoration to the world. It is through the church that Grace & Truth are lived out.
So here is my question for you....what does it mean to be the agents of Grace & Truth in the world? Please leave a comment and spur the discussion. I'll share my thoughts in my next posting.
The other day while at the beach; I stood on the shore just far enough in so the waves would crash around me. I love doing this. Before long the natural will happen...the longer I stand in one spot the deeper I sink as the waves erode the sand around me. As I stood there watching my kids play in the beautiful warm blue water I had a beautiful moment of truth.
So the longer I stood there in the sand the deeper I went. If I took a step and left that spot I would see my once very visible footprint disapear. I've seen this happen many times before in my life.... but never before have I thought about it in this way.
Even though we know we are forgiven we still feel the weight of our guilt upon us for our past sins. Sometimes we can't move forward because we make our selves "sink" deeper underneath the weight of our sin. Everytime we feel God's forgiveness come and readily made available we don't fully accept it....because somehow we don't feel we are worthy. But what if we would just understand and accept the truth that God's Grace is bigger than our sin? What if I grasped that Christ's sacrifice is more than sufficent to forgive me and everybody in the world? If I just would accept this than my guilt and sin would disappear. I then in turn could move on and be a powerful witness to the world.
The longer we stand in the sand and sink in our guilt and sin the longer we are defeated. It's time to lift up our foot and take the next step and watch our past sins and guilts be washed away because of the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for us. When we recject God's grace and continue in our guilt we are making the impact of God's Grace upon our lives of null effect. We should feel remorseful and repentant over our short comings...but once we approach God through Christ it is taken care of.
So take your foot out of the sand and watch the waves crash on the shore and take away what was holding you back. God is good!
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only [Son], who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John chapter 1 gives us a very descriptive telling of who Jesus is and what he did and does. We see Him as the WORD who is God. We see him as the creator and the light. If there was any doubt who John was referring to it was clearly cleared up in verse 14. John says that this "Word" (the full expression of God) became flesh (Jesus). Not only did Jesus come but very specifically he came in Grace & Truth. If the Kingdom of God is the central focus of Jesus life and teachings...then "Grace & Truth" is the way it it presented to the world.
Grace is used in various ways throughout the New Testament. The most obvious and often spoken of way is referring to God's unmerited favor towards us. The world needs grace. Jesus came to a world full of veangeance and evil. He came to a world that was the complete opposite of Grace. In fact Jesus was the opposite way in almost every way possible.
The Romans way of expanding their kingdom was through the sword and coersion. Jesus ways of expanding his kingdom was through the ways of Grace & Truth. Complete opposites. The Roman way brought more separation, hurt and war. The ways of Jesus brought salvation, unity, healing and peace.
Jesus died and rose again. He's left the earth to return to his Father in heaven. If Jesus isn't here then how does Grace and Truth continue? My friends that's what the church is all about. The church is the "body of Christ". It is the way that God intends to bring healing and restoration to the world. It is through the church that Grace & Truth are lived out.
So here is my question for you....what does it mean to be the agents of Grace & Truth in the world? Please leave a comment and spur the discussion. I'll share my thoughts in my next posting.
Here is fantastic article written by Tim Keller who is the senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, NY and an adjunct professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. I have shared some thoughts on this issue in some of my postings and I feel it's a worthwhile read that many Christians need to grab a hold of.
This past Sunday, I preached a message about unwrapping the Gospel in our lives. We talked about how the Gospel is not just something that you proclaim with your mouths but it also something you proclaim with your lives. I talked about how so many Christians focus on the beginning and the end of the life of Jesus to the neglect of the middle. The Gospel is the good news that God has not given up on the world. The gospel is the good news that there is hope when it seems like we are surrouned my a world of hopelessness.
I mentioned how strange it was that Jesus sent the disciples and the 70 away to preach the "gospel". This gospel that they preached could not have been about the death, burial and ressurection of Jesus since that had not happened yet. We were told that they healed people, casted out demons and just loved on people.
I asked you to live this truth out in your lives. I asked you to preach the gospel with your actions to a hurting world. I am so glad that you were listening. We presented two specific needs to you about two families that were struggling deeply this Christmas. After the service scores of you came up with toys, money and food for these families. Let me share with you what you did through your preaching the gospel. Both of these families didn't have enough food to make it this week. Both of these families (10 kids) in total did not have one single present for their children on Christmas morning. One of these families was facing eviction from their apartment.
On Christmas Eve, Pastor Brad and I took all of your love to these families. We both witnessed miracles that night. We saw the Gospel in a practical way. We saw the following happen....
1 family will have a place to live and not be evicted this week. 2 familes will have enough to eat for at least a month (50 bags of groceries alltogether) 10 kids were able to wake up to a gift on Christmas morning that would have woken up to nothing. 2 families saw God's love for them in a very practical and tangible way. 2 families saw believers of Jesus truly be like Jesus
Thanks for letting me see the Gospel. Thanks for letting me partake in a miracle!
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