Mission = Gospel

The mission of the Church comes up in many a conversation. How do we make sense of social justice, community/relationship building, doctrinal truth, and the Great Commission? Remember, we are the Church, the Church is not some abstract idea or building with steeples and bells, or is it an organization that is to maximize its resources in order to grow the organization.

Let me cut to the quick, I say this without any qualifications, or without any apologies, the one thing that the Church is to be (in terms of mission) is that she is to be proclaiming the gospel in all she does, she is to be a gospel community. The gospel you say? well, isn't that helping people, and building relationships? wouldn't that include being involved in the sex slave trade movement?

It seems whenever we speak or write we need to make sure that we are all on the same page or at least playing in the same ball park. Defining our words and our Bible talk is extremely important in a post-christian culture. I'd purport that anyone who is even halfway Biblical literate would conclude that the focal point in the book of Acts (the history of the early christian church), would be the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul told us that he was not sent or commissioned to baptize, but to preach the gospel (1 Cor. 1:17). Paul again repeats this theme of the importance of the gospel when he writes his letter to the Church at Corinth, he says, "... it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe ( 1 Cor. 1:21). Paul then speaks of the gospel as the means of salvation when he says that the gospel is the power of God that leads to salvation see (Rom. 1:16).

So what was this gospel that the early church preached, and that the Apostle Paul was so emphatic about? Well, Gilbert Beebe gives us a good workable definition when he states, "the Greek word "evanggelion" is translated "gospel" in the King James Version. This word, together with its rendering of "good tidings," glad tidings" and "preach the gospel" occurs some one hundred and eight times in the New Testament, none of which intimate anything less than "finished redemption" in Christ" http://www.pristinegrace.org/media.php?id=366.

Good news, glad tidings,--- that Jesus the Messiah has accomplished redemption for His people, the price has been paid at the cross, victory was evidenced through the miracle of the resurrection, this is the good news for the sinner who was under the curse of the laws penalty. Jesus rescued His people, He accomplished their salvation when He cried from the cross, "it is finished."

So if the gospel is anything we know that it is this: The proclamation of the good news, the glad tidings, that Jesus has provided redemption for those who were once separated from God because of their sin. Eternal life, eternal life, eternal life, this is the message the church carries to the world, for she has the words of eternal life.

                                                         Go, tell it on the mountain,
                                                         Over the hills and everywhere
                                                         Go, tell it on the mountain,
                                                        That Jesus Christ is born

Make your calling and election sure!

One thing that seems to get overlooked in the Christian life is the practice of self examination. The most important point of self examination is for the believer to know that he is truly the Lords---or in the words of of Peter, "making your calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10).

Throughout the pages of the Bible we are confronted with the reality of false professions, false prophets, and those who are self-deceived. Jesus says, "Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, see Matthew 7: 21. Again, this issue is addressed by our Lord in the gospel of  Mark when he says, " Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not what I say?" (6:46), the implication of what our Lord is saying is that there will be those who think they are His, but in reality they are not---this is the group of people who will hear the dreadful words from our Lord, "depart from me, for I never knew you" (Matt. 7: 23).

One of the dangers in our churches today is the profusion of a teaching called "easy- believism," you might be saying, "what is easy- believism?" So that question should get answered. First, let me say that any deviation from the gospel the Apostle Paul preached is to be avoided and is to be considered heresy, see Galatians 1:8 "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse."

Easy-believism certainly falls under the heading of "another gospel!" I'll make this as simple as possible, for one, easy-believism's emphasis is on "the decision" that one makes. This emphasis on the "decision" leads to making salvation man centered instead of God centered. A decision for Christ does not save us, if the decision saved us then salvation would be considered a human work, and we know from Paul's teaching in his letter to the Church at Ephesus that we are saved by grace through faith and not of ourselves (2: 8-9).

When we place our faith in the "decision" we are  indeed placing our faith in something "other" than God's work of regeneration in the sinners soul. Apart from God regenerating the dead, blind, and spiritually deaf sinner they would never come to faith (or a decision).

There is much more that can be said about the dangers of easy-believism, but for now just the understanding that this heretical teaching emphasizes man's decision for salvation while ignoring the work of God in the sinners heart should be enough.

So how does one examine himself/herself to make their calling and election sure, or really know if they are saved? How does one examine their lives to make sure that they are truly the Lords? and  avoid hearing those dreadful words on the day of judgement; " I never knew you, depart from me."

Any self-examination must start with what you believe about the gospel as taught in the Holy Scriptures:
1. Dispel any notion that a decision saves you.
2. Stop trusting in your decision and understand that salvation is completely a work of God.
3. Get an understanding of what the Bible teaches about the doctrine of regeneration.
4. Know what the Bible teaches about salvation: regeneration, justification, conversion, sanctification etc.
5. Humble yourself before God and ask Him to show you where your trust is being placed? And if you have your trust in anything other than the Cross of Jesus ask God to grant you repentance and cling to the cross as your only hope of salvation.

Self-examination must also include looking at the fruit in your life:1. Jesus told us by their fruits you will know them (that you are His).
2. Sanctification is the evidence that regeneration has truly taken place in your life.
3. Do you have new desires and new motives?
4. Do you seek and desire to do God's will (as revealed in the Holy Scriptures)?
5. Does disobedience to God's revealed will bring deep grief  and repentance into your life?

Go into your prayer closet and do some good old detective work and see if their is the evidence in your life that would indicate that you are a Child of God. This is one of the most important disciplines that one could ever practice---in fact, your eternity depends on it!

Do we Understand that Grace is Amazing?

Does the  average Christian believer truly understand how grace operated in their lives when they were saved? I've discovered that the average pew sitter on a Sunday morning has no idea how grace operates now in their daily lives much less at the time of their conversion.

We need to put the "amazing" back into grace, and move away from our conditioned church taught way to live the Christian life. How many of us grew up in churches where we were spoon-fed bible verses, Christian slogans, and heard enough spiritual cliches to make one's head spin around and around?

Sad to say all to many believer's view the Christian life as a rule book to be followed; you remember reading that old college student handbook, the one that listed all the rules to follow,  oh yes, it is true that the Christian life for many has become a list of do's and don'ts.

There is no grace in following a bunch of rules and regulations. A believer will never know God's grace or experience God's grace by trying to earn God's favor or by being a good rule keeper. I can hear the charge already, so I'll put an end to that right here, no, I don't believe in antinomianism (no law), I do believe that God has given the believer a law to follow, it is loving God and loving your neighbor----remember Jesus saying that, " All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" Matthew 22:40. How about the Apostle Paul telling us that "... the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself" Galatians 5:14.

So why is God's grace so amazing? because it give the guilty sinner the gift of eternal life, it gives the depraved man/woman a new heart, it gives the hell-bound,  and hell deserved sinner atonement and forgiveness of sins. And never forget God's grace doesn't stop at our conversion, no, God's grace should and must reign in our lives at every moment, with every decision, with every effort,  and yes, the believing saint acknowledges that all he has, all he does comes form the fountain of God's grace.

So many churches present the Christian life as a life of doing, always doing, always giving, always filling in a need in the church, coming out to a program etc,---and by the end of the day you just have a bunch of burned-out Christians who are zapped of any energy or life.

Now I know that the believer is called to work, to labor, to toil, and be spent for the Master, however if this in not done in the soil of grace, if grace is not known and  experienced in the believer's life this work becomes onerous and heavy to the point that most Christians break down.

Christian, know that God does not accept you based on your performace level, oh no, He accepts you based on the work of His Son on the cross---"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians, KJV 1:6). Come to the place where you find his yoke easy and His burden light Matthew 11:30.

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Do your emotions control you?

This morning let's talk about emotions and the power they have over our lives. Emotions can be a best friend or they can become a worst enemy. I do not want to get clinical as I discuss emotions, but speak about emotions as an everyday Joe who has dealt with emotions for the better part of five decades.

Could you imagine what life would be like without emotions? Life would certainly be gray, dark and dull don't you think?. I think of our creator creating us in His image, and any theology student worth his grain would give a hearty amen to the reality that our emotions are part of being created in God's image.

The Scriptures are replete with descriptions that show God displaying emotion: God is "grieved" at the pervasive evil of mankind, yet "pleased" with Noah's faithfulness. After the flood, God is "pleased" by Noah's burnt offering. The New Testament book of Hebrews notes that "... we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses."

Of course anyone who is at all familiar with the Gospel's would see that our Savior showed emotions as He wept, became angry, and had compassion. However, when ascribing emotions to God we must keep in mind that God is sovereign, that  He is holy and He is God. God's emotions must be understood in the context of his immutability (un-changeableness), and his being completely self-sufficient. God's emotions can't be understood from a human view point mainly because our emotions are stained and touched by the curse of the fall.

As we go a little further into an understanding of our emotions it is absolutely necessary for us to understand that we are fallen and live in a fallen world. One of the dangers that people make with their emotions is they allow their emotions to control them----our emotions should not control us neither should they be denied. We must find a healthy balance between control and acceptance. The opposite of being controlled by our emotions would be the suppression of our emotions---there are those who turn off the emotions switch and stuff their emotions way down deep; and do all they can from allowing them to come up for air.

We should all do an emotional inventory check from time to time. If you feel close and connected with "others" in your life good chance is that you are emotionally balanced and healthy, if on the other hand you are disconnected and not in relationship with "others" you are  probably not in good emotional health.

We must all take ownership for our own "feelings," we must take full responsibility for how we feel. If you are experiencing anger, take ownership of your anger and discover where your anger is pointing you and deal with the situation. Good starting point is bringing your anger to God's throne and seek the help of the Holy Spirit, still further seek out a friend, counselor, or someone you trust and talk out your emotion.

This may sound foreign to some, but even if depression comes by to pay a visit from time to time, stop and ask yourself what you can learn from this deep penetrating emotion. What needs to be changed in your life?---sometimes it can be as simple as the need to get out for a good 3-4 mile walk Sometimes we need to change the way we fuel our bodies. Sometimes we may have to confess sin in our lives or maybe just stop the merry-go-round and take a break.

Best friend or worst enemy? Well it depends on us. Are you willing to take ownership and responsibility for your emotions? Your emotions can only be your worst enemy only if you allow them to control you.

The heart and soul of being a follower of Christ?

I've been thinking lately, what is the heart and soul of being a follower of Christ? I mean what really does it mean to be a Christ follower? If you asked this question to a roomful of Christians you would most likely get several different responses. How would you answer this question? Go ahead, right now, write out your definition of what it means to be a Christian; get your pencil and paper and write it out in a a single sentence or two or three.

Is there any one definition that is wrong? Are there some definitions that really seem to capture the heart and soul of the word Christian better than others?

The Oxford dictionary gives us this definition of Christian:  1. of, relating to, or professing Christianity or its teachings:

Dictionary.com says: 1.of, pertaining to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings: a Christian faith.

Merriam-Webster notes: 1.a : one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ
I don't know about you but these formal-academic definitions don't get to the heart and soul of what it means to be a Christ follower. Now I'm sure no one would disagree with the above definitions, but they just lack the power and essence of what a follower of Christ is really all about.

There is nothing more that I detest than cold-dead religious orthodoxy. I can still envision those religious figures in the movies about Christ who looked down their noses on others, those religious figures in the days of Christ that received the Master's harshest rebukes and denunciations.

When I think of a follower of Christ, I think the opposite of cold-dead orthodoxy, I think of fire and life. I think of abiding and living in the life of the Holy Spirit---not one who keeps a set of religious rules, not one who follows all of the liturgies of a church, or walks around with nose in the air and Bible under arm.

You know the main thesis of the New Testament is that the follower of Christ is being made into the "likeness and image of Christ." It should follow then that those who call themselves Christians would then look like their Master. As one reads the pages of the gospels, we get a clear picture of whom Christ was and who Christ is today as He reigns with His Father.

                                               So here is my definition of a Christian.

Christian: One who has been made alive by a supernatural act of God. One who has the Holy Spirit of God living in them enabling them and equipping them to love and serve the Father. The Christ follower loves God with all their heart, mind, body, soul and strength.

Death is not normal, it is our enemy!

In the Apostle John's account (chapter 11) of the death of Lazarus we find the shortest verse in the Bible "Jesus wept" (v.35). On two accounts it is recorded that "he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled" (v.33), and "Jesus, once more deeply moved" (v.38).

Let me provide some different translations for vv. 33, 38----

New Living Translation (©2007) "...a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled (33).

The Message "...a deep anger welled up within him" (33).

New Living Translation (©2007) "Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb..." (38).

The Message "Then Jesus, the anger again welling up within him, arrived at the tomb..." (38).

Here is the Greek definition for the word translated (groaning) found in most of our translations:

embrimaomai: to be moved with anger, to admonish sternly
Original Word: ἐμβριμάομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: embrimaomai
Phonetic Spelling: (em-brim-ah'-om-ahee)
Short Definition: I snort, express indignant displeasure
Definition: I snort (with the notion of coercion springing out of displeasure, anger, indignation, antagonism), express indignant displeasure with some one; I charge sternly.

All of that for this: What was Jesus so angry about? What was he so displeased with? What was he so snorting mad at?

It was DEATH; the last enemy that he would destroy, did you catch that, the last enemy, the last enemy. Jesus was angry at death and the devil, who is the author of all death, (for he was a murderer from the beginning).

Think of it this way, the death of Lazarus stood for the death of the entire human race, how contrary to God's original design for the world and His creation. God's world was supposed to flourish in peace and wholeness. Then sin, death, and the devil came and destroyed all that was good and perfect. God in His great love and mercy sent His Son to redeem and bring reconciliation to a world that had become dark and disjointed.

I can remember when at my fathers bed side at the hospital when he was dying how I felt a horrible anger, I can remember telling my wife that, "this is not the way it is supposed to be," I didn't buy into that old worn out cliché that said, "death is the circle of life garbage, I knew that death was an enemy, yes, an enemy to every human and to God himself.

When I saw death I knew that I was looking at something that was abnormal, something that was out of place, and something needed to be fixed. Death is ugly, death is dark, and shows no mercy, and remember what causes death? It is something that is just as offensive, it is sin.

I believe that on that day, when Jesus came late to his friend’s aid, it was a purposeful delay. Jesus meant to show the world that he came to reclaim that which was lost through the fall. Jesus' raising Lazarus from the grave foreshadowed His own resurrection from the dead, for Lazarus would die again, but not our Lord, He now lives forever to grant His resurrection power to all who are united to Him by faith.

Does Character matter? Sure it does!

Does character matter? Take the time to ponder that question, don't let it just slip in one ear and out the other. I mean does virtue and integrity mean anything today? or should the virtues that makeup character be left to the long lost days of the Victorian era?

I think back to the days of Knights-you know the days when men were men and there was a code of conduct that was followed if you were to be recognized as a man of character. The term that was used to describe this kind of conduct was called chivalry. Wikipedia describes chivalry as:

Chivalry, or the chivalric code, is the traditional code of conduct associated with the medieval institution of Knighthood. Chivalry arose from an idealized German custom. It was originally conceived of as an aristocratic warrior code — the term derives from the French term for horseman — involving honor, gallantry, and individual training and service to others. Over time its meaning has been refined to emphasize more ideals such as knightly virtues, honor, courtly love, courtesy, and less martial aspects of the tradition.

When we talk about servant leadership, character certainly comes to the top of the list of what  makes a leader a great leader. We know that there are those that can lead through brute power and force; we know that many leaders view character traits as a weakness that will only be exploited by others.

I remember reading in Dietrich Bonhoeffer's biography by Eric Mataxas that Hitler hated Christianity-why? because Christianity taught and promoted such ideals as: forgiveness, love, kindness, turning the other cheek, all of which Hitler viewed as weaknesses. Hitler was certainly a strong and powerful leader, but he ruled through deceit, coercion, and inflicting pain and suffering on those he led.

Getting back to the question does character matter? of course it does! Character will never go out of date like bell bottom jeans, platform shoes, or dying hair blue, green and red. Character stands the test of time, it has grit, it defines who you are, it is really you, the real you .

A man/women without character is really a shell of a person. Without character there is nothing that defines that person--many times I've noticed that those without character will be "whatever you want them to be," they will be all things to all people groups. They are like a bowl of gelatin, no form or shape, just rolling around in the cup of life without any defining character foundation.

For the follower of Christ, he/she does not cultivate character traits just to build character, no, for the Christ follower there is a higher purpose in all he does----all that the believer does is for the glory of God, but the Bible is not silent about character, listen to the Scriptures as they speak concerning our topic at hand: "...make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love" 2 Peter 2: 5-7.

Jesus sums up the topic for us in the Sermon on the Mount when he says "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven 5:16."