The antidote to hopelessness

Jesus' followers were understandably devastated by His betrayal, arrest, torture, sham trials, and brutal crucifixion. Their hopes were dashed! All that they had imagined and dreamed had turned into the worst possible nightmare.

At Jesus' empty tomb (Luke 24), the angel decked out in "clothes that gleamed like lightning" challenged their despairing gloom: "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! REMEMBER how He told you . . ."

They forgot that He had promised to rise from the dead three days after His betrayal and crucifixion. He had laid it all out for them repeatedly. Obviously they neither comprehended at the time nor remembered when it happened.

Their three days of hopeless grief were unnecessary. They could have spent those days in confident anticipation . . . if they had remembered and believed.

Remembering Jesus' promise wouldn't have made it any easier to witness what happened. It wouldn't have made it any less devastating to see what He suffered or to feel grief over His death.

But remembering His promise would have filled their grief with hope and eager anticipation.

No one can reasonably deny the reality of the pain of living in a sin-broken world. Poverty, injustice, betrayal, sickness, death, and all kinds of suffering are real and they hurt! But the Scriptures bleed with God's promise, guaranteed by Jesus' resurrection, that when He comes again, everything will be made new and beautiful. His people will live happily ever after in God's new earth and heaven.

Remembering the promise won't eliminate the pain, but it changes it. On the other side of suffering is glorious and permanent healing. Remember Jesus -- what He did for our redemption and what He promised for our future.

Me and mine

Remember the story of Jesus' post-resurrection appearance to the two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)? They were withheld from recognizing Jesus at first and He drew out their thoughts and feelings asking for their take on the momentous events they had witnessed in Jerusalem (the crucifixion). Their response is remarkably provincial, perhaps revealing how much their focus was on their own nation and people to the exclusion of the rest of the world: "We had hoped that He was the One who was going to redeem Israel." It would seem that they embraced the hope that Messiah would bless Israel, but didn't care much whether He would bring anything other than judgment to Romans or other peoples. Apparently in their reading of the prophets and hearing of Jesus' message, they totally missed the universality of God's love and His plan to restore the whole creation to its original perfection, fixing all that sin broke. They misunderstood God's selection of Israel as a vehicle to bless the whole world and assumed that God loved them above all others and that the focus of history was for their nation to the exclusion of all others. The tendency to focus on "me and mine" is all too familiar -- both personal and national. Of course we should prioritize our own family and people (1 Timothy 5:8), but not to the exclusion of others. "God so loved THE WORLD . . ." is the familiar theme of perhaps the most famous Bible verse -- John 3:16. Love of one's own should be the foundation from which love for all of one's "neighbors" both near and far can flow. Selfishness and pride sometimes show in a nationalistic and cavalier apathy regarding the needs and suffering of those beyond our families, our neighborhood, our city, and our nation, even as an appropriate love of family can perversely morph into selfish neglect of others and their needs. The promise of the Gospel -- that Jesus will redeem not just Israel but all nations and peoples -- is beautiful, hope-filled anticipation which should fuel our prayers and actions to match God's global love.

Tis the season for accusation

It takes a major world crisis to briefly break the stride of network news and social media obsession with the latest dripping-with-mud accusations being flung around the presidential campaign – either by the candidates or by their loyal supporters. Fact checkers can hardly keep up with the constant stream and the old adage, “If you are going to lie, make it a WHOPPER and many people will believe you,” seems to have risen to an art form. Having at times in my life been the target of painful accurate accusations as well as of horrific false slander, I know very personally how painful and damaging they can be. Charles Spurgeon used to say, “A lie goes around the world twice while truth is putting its boots on.” Proverbs, the Bible’s book filled with wisdom-nuggets, is brutal in it’s condemnation of gossip and slander, as in 26:22-28. It’s very much worth the minutes it takes to read! In my Bible reading this morning I was again reminded how often and how horribly our Savior, the sinless Son of God, was falsely accused (e.g. Luke 23:1, 2). It was a reminder that I should never be quick to believe accusations apart from compelling evidence from unbiased sources or admission from the accused as to their accuracy. It’s often important to try to discern the motivations of the accusers as that can reveal skewed perspective, blinding bias, or even incentive to lie. There is, of course, a legitimate place, even a moral responsibility, for confronting an evil-doer and from warning others of their danger. But such confrontations and warnings must be truth- and love-filled, and must be carried out with humility, integrity, and godly motivation. As a follower of Jesus, I should be committed to not being naïve or predisposed to believing accusations, to not inappropriately passing them on to others, to (whenever possible) take the accuser straight to the accused for face-to-face interaction, and to rebuke anyone who wants to dump their accusations of others in my lap unless they are asking for my help in addressing the problem in an appropriate way (e.g. Matthew 18:25-18 in interpersonal issues). And “yes” – just for the record in this political accusation season – I have sent personal emails to BOTH of the primary presidential candidates expressing my concerns. I didn’t think they would take my phone calls or arrange a face-to-face meeting.

The Herod in us

When Pilate sent Jesus to Herod for judgment, Herod "was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see Him. From what he had heard about Him he hoped to see him perform some miracle." Herod's interest in Jesus was totally self-serving. He wanted to be entertained by Jesus performing some supernatural deed in front of him. He had no interest in Jesus other than as it benefited him. It was all about him (Herod) and what he could gain from the connection with Jesus. The possibility that he needed to fall on his face before Jesus and spend the rest of his life following Him wasn't remotely in his thoughts. It's easy to demonize Herod, a vile man who likely deserves whatever criticism which might be heaped on him. But, perhaps there is more of Herod in us than we would care to admit. Is it possible that for some, participation in church is like that? It's all about us - what we can get for ourselves: contact with friends, entertainment (not expensive either), affirmation from others, a self-satisfying sense of "spirituality," connections for our business or social life or children, esteem for being a "good Christian," etc? Is it possible that not everyone connects with Jesus' church for totally unselfish reasons -- in order to love God and love others, to serve, to sacrifice for a cause, to give, to help others, etc? That is not to suggest that it is inappropriate to go to church out of a deep sense of personal need and desire for forgiveness and transformation for oneself. Hopefully the motivation is not merely for relief and feeling good, but springs from a repentant heart full of grief for how one's selfishness has hurt others, from a desire to be made whole in order to please God and serve others. No wonder at the judgment Jesus will say to "many" very religious people, "I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers" (Matthew 7:23). I would be less than honest if I didn't acknowledge that the same self-centeredness and self-seeking is a pervasive temptation for pastors like myself. Motivations may be mixed and complex but I am painfully aware how easy it is to do good things with selfish motives -- secretly concerned more for self than for others. I need Paul's reminder, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a changing cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom great mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1ff). P.S. Remembering that we are all "mixed bags" -- beautiful because made in God's image and broken by sin -- it might still be a revealing exercise to attempt to discern the primary motivations of those running for president -- recognizing that we cannot fully know another's heart even though their words and actions are often revelatory. It's THE HEROD TEST: Is the pattern of their lives characterized by self-seeking or by serving and sacrificing to help others? Of course such an evaluation may divide "along party lines" unless we can somehow rise above that sometimes Herodian plague.

QUESTIONS WE ASK OR SHOULD

In our beautiful, broken world, at some point most people are confronted with suffering, pain, and injustice to the point where they ask an agonizing question, "Where is God?" It's comforting to recognize that throughout the Scriptures, especially the Psalms, that question is asked again and again. The words may be a bit different but the sentiment is the same. The answers aren't always what we would hope for, and too often it seems there is no answer at all. We are left hanging with our questions and doubts. But the acknowledgment of the question's appropriateness is comforting. On the cross, Jesus asked His Father a related question: "Why have You forsaken Me?" It wasn't the same as "Where are You?" Jesus didn't question the existence, proximity, awareness, or ability of His Father, but He did question the purpose for His horrific circumstances. The mystery of Jesus' full humanity coupled with His full deity are encompassed in His question. As a real man yet without sin, He not only asked "Why?" which is on the edge of a tacit accusation, but also He pleaded to be rescued from the pain and injustice -- "Let this cup pass from Me." Quickly Jesus moved from His question to an affirmation. He immediately expressed His surrender to His Father's will: "Nevertheless not what I will, but Your will be done." What a wonderful example to us! Thereby Jesus signaled permission for us to also ask "Why?" without guilt or shame, and also indicated that it is okay to ask to be saved from suffering. But Jesus also modeled faith and full surrender to God's will no matter how difficult it might be. All that said, earlier this week a retired pastor friend, knowing some of the painful things I had experienced, asked me if I had been able to discern the answer to another question in relationship to the time of pain: "What is God doing?" Reflecting on his question I realized that it was a beautiful statement of faith at the same time it was an acknowledgement of the sometimes mysteriousness of God's providence and its apparent contradiction of God's love, goodness, and power. The more I thought about the question, the more I realized how good it would be to ask that question again and again with regard to all that life serves up to us whether good or "bad" -- "What is God doing?" Awareness that God is always at work in everything and that He is always purposeful and always good -- that awareness can help me to look for His always good purpose and cooperate with it.

Was Jesus a poached egg?

Jesus stands out from every other person in history. He has no equal or even any similar. His story is unique, His character is unblemished, His justice is unassailable, His power is unlimited, His wisdom is unequaled, His love is relentless. He is surprising, accepting, shocking, encouraging, unconventional, frustrating, incomprehensible, compassionate, uncompromising, just, comforting, disconcerting, affirming, convicting, authentic, frustrating, inspiring, patient, sorrowful, joyful, angry, inviting, consistent, unpredictable, greatly loved, hated, forgiving, judging, kind, truthful, trustworthy, humble, confident, and above all, He is LOVE. C. S. Lewis argued cogently that the alternative to believing that Jesus is God is to believe that He was insane or demonic: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to . . . Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.” (Mere Christianity, 55-56) Was Lewis’ logic sound? This blog argues “yes.” https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/justintaylor/2016/02/01/is-c-s-lewiss-liar-lord-or-lunatic-argument-unsound/ Whatever people believe about religion, Bible interpretations, dogma, Christians, or the church, they must still reckon with Jesus. He stands above and over them all. They must all be defined by Him, not vice versa.

Whose Kid Are You?

Jesus was the master story teller. His stories were typically simple, familiar, memorable, relevant, practical, pointed, thought-provoking, and sometimes open-ended or even shocking. His story of the unjust manager in Luke 16 is all of the above with the added element of being a bit perplexing. Did Jesus really suggest that lying, stealing, and cheating to benefit oneself is a good thing to be emulated? The contrast Jesus suggested in His description of the “people of this world” and the “people of the light” is instructive. His followers are the children of the light -- literally “sons of,” that is, descendants of, regardless of gender. They belong to the light, are students of the light, are being formed by and becoming like the light, and thus bear resemblance to the light. Assuming that “the Light” refers to Jesus, the “Light of the world,” the implications are legion and call us to meditation and introspection. Jesus’ followers are not children of this age – shaped by the transient and passing culture in which we are all immersed. This suggests the appropriateness of asking, “What is transforming my life and character day by day? Do I bear more resemblance to Jesus or to the world around me? What would those around me say?” The focus of Jesus’ contrast is one’s attitude toward and use of money and material things and how they relate to “true riches” which retain their value after this age when worldly wealth has vanished and one arrives at their “eternal dwelling” in the age to come. Jesus’ point is that the former (worldly wealth) can be transformed into the latter (true and eternal riches) by investing them to “gain friends” who will welcome them into their eternal home. Jesus leaves us to consider how one’s resources can be so used. At risk of doing what Jesus did not choose to do, I would suggest that one way may be investing in the spread of the Gospel in one’s community and around the world. Jesus’ description of the future division of sheep and goats in Matthew 25 suggests another: using one’s resources to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, house the homeless, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and tend to the imprisoned. Identifying Jesus’ authentic followers is not as simple as checking church attendance. Rather two distinguishing characteristics are whether one is becoming more like the counter-cultural Jesus and how one invests their resources to gain eternal friends. Whose kid are you?

SHEEP LIVES MATTER

In Jesus' familiar parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd obviously believes that sheep lives matter. He left his comfort zone to pursue the one-out-of-a-hundred which was missing -- launching out into the dark night rather than bedding down with his flock for a good sleep under the stars. There were 100 sheep -- all their lives mattered -- but there was one whose circumstances called for prioritization. He was lost. The parable gives no information as to why or how he became lost. We tend to jump to the conclusion that it was his fault. He had special needs the 99 did not. They were comfortable, well-fed, and safe. Well it must be that he had been rebellious or foolish. He decided to wander off. Right? It is the nature of sheep after all (Isaiah 53:6). But we don't know that it was his fault. It wouldn't be hard to imagine reasons he became separated from the flock which were not his fault or the result of poor decisions he made, or that his own laziness in not following got him in trouble. Perhaps he was sick or injured and no one noticed that he couldn't keep up. Perhaps a bully-sheep chased him off and he was unable or afraid to catch up and face more abuse. Or perhaps . . . you fill in the blank with other possibilities. Frankly, even if it was his fault, it didn't seem to matter to the shepherd. The fact was that the lost sheep needed special attention -- more than the other 99 -- and so the shepherd dropped everything to pursue him. Jesus' story didn't address blame, only need. Jesus always seemed to prioritize those who were marginalized, oppressed, or in need -- widows, orphans, women, children, the homeless, those in poverty, the hungry, those with inadequate resources, the sick, the incarcerated, those trapped in sin (think for example of James 1:27; Matthew 25:31ff; Luke 15:1f; John 8:1ff). "Wait a minute," I hear someone responding, don't "ALL LIVES MATTER?" Of course they do. But not all lives need prioritization like the lost sheep, the widow and orphan, the hungry and homeless, the oppressed, etc. Perhaps there are lessons here for churches. There is a natural tendency to turn INWARD -- to prioritize the needs of the already saved. The budget,the staff, the programming, the attention -- all seem to prioritize the "found," while little time and few resources are focused on "the lost." Perhaps there are some cultural lessons too -- for example, "Black lives matter." What would Jesus say?

RETIREMENT IS A LITTLE LIKE DEATH

Last week after 32 years at Calvary Church (48 in vocational ministry) I retired from the pastoral staff. It was the culmination of many years of thinking and working on transitions and a year of very intentional preparation along with the elder team and staff. The church provided the most amazing retirement party imaginable for Gloria and I! As the retirement day approached I reflected frequently on the idea that retirement is a little like death. It is a time of endings and new beginnings. More specifically, knowing the time of your approaching retirement is, I suspect, a little like knowing the time (approximately) of your approaching death -- as when your doctor says, "six to eight months is my best guess." Thankfully, I can only speak from experience about retirement. This knowledge can bring joy and gratitude as you recall great memories from the past; trigger deep regrets for your failures and unrealized dreams and goals; bring into sharper focus what is important or trivial; and motivate you to getting important things done that might help and influence others in a positive way. There is an awareness that your ability and opportunity to influence others is going to dramatically change (not end). This clarity can increase productivity much like the big push to get things done just before you leave on vacation. Among many other things, I preached a final sermon series entitled, "Before I Go." The exercise of planning what topics and Scriptures I felt were most important to share in those last dozen sermons was challenging -- kind of like creating a very serious "Top Ten" list. What did I want our dear church to remember most from the LAST sermon? Along with numerous meetings with individuals and groups, I prepared two documents to share with key leadership groups in the church: "Parting thoughts for Calvary's elders and staff," and "Missionary strategy suggestions for Calvary Church." Reflecting on all this, I wish there were a way to secretly "pretend" you had an approaching retirement date so as to bring about the kind of clarity and urgency all this produced. There is a big part of me that wishes I had perceived and acted on many of these things more strategically and emphatically years ago. Perhaps that's why as part of my retirement I would like to be involved in "Encouraging Churches & Pastors" (a possible logo for my post-retirement ministry) -- pulpit supply, writing, interim ministry (maybe), Seminary teaching, consulting, coaching, mentoring, etc. Pastor friends, think about secretly scheduling your premature and pretend "retirement" date. If you can fool yourself, you may be very pleased by the clarity and urgency it empowers. Oh yes, there's another way that retirement is a little like death -- because of Jesus, there is wonderful new life beyond death (and retirement) with exciting new possibilities and opportunities. Let the journey (retirement) begin!

Sometimes I'm a slow learner. I can focus on the trees and overlook the forest. Jesus' description of the Judgment of the Sheep and Goats in Matthew 25:31-48 is an illustration. Like many Bible scholars I've read, in my past sermons and lessons on this passage I spent an inordinate amount of time talking about a variety of themes it suggests: where this judgment fits on a dispensational prophecy time-line for future events; whether it will be a distinct judgment from the Judgment of Israel, the Judgment Seat of Christ, and the Great White Throne Judgment; whether it is mostly about how Gentile nations treat the Jewish people in the present age or in the future Tribulation Period; and what it teaches about the nature of hell. While all of those are certainly interesting and not unimportant topics, I'm not convinced that they are NOT what Jesus' message was about. All of those topics easily become a distraction from the BIG IDEA Jesus was teaching, that is, that GOD WILL JUDGE US BASED ON HOW WE TREATED THE POOR AND NEEDY. Obviously Jesus was not teaching salvation by works as if we get into his kingdom by feeding the hungry, etc. The sheep and goats are separated for what they are -- their nature. The Shepherd knows His sheep -- those who have repented, believed, and who hear His voice and follow Him (John 10). And they are sentenced (rewarded or punished) for what they did in response to human suffering. Their caring for the poor and needy revealed the reality of their faith. The distinguishing characteristic of genuine Christians is LOVE (John 13:35; 1 John 3:14; 4:7-12) and love must respond to need (1 John 3:17). While it’s endearing to see that the sheep are unaware of their righteousness, it’s terrifying to see that the goats are unaware of their true identity (they thought they were sheep--even called Jesus, "Lord"). That is a sobering warning that we must be careful not to be self-deceived about our true identity. How can you tell if you are a self-effacing sheep or a self-deceived goat? Jesus' answer in this text is that you can tell by whether or not you care for the poor and needy. How could Jesus make it any more clear? Caring for the poor and needy reveals who is a sheep and who is a goat. Jesus will not judge people for the knowledge they amassed, the status they achieved, the financial prosperity they accumulated, the earthly honors they received, the frequency of their church attendance, the leadership positions they held in the church, or even how well they knew the Bible. They will be judged on the HELP THEY GAVE TO THOSE IN NEED. It’s what Jesus’ genuine followers do – they love people and they respond generously to people in need. They don’t respond to people because the world grants them status or rank or because treating them well might gain some benefit in return. They see people in need – hungry, thirsty, homeless, inadequately clothed, sick, or in prison – and they LOVE THEM, OPEN THEIR HEART AND HANDS TO THEM – they SACRIFICE TO HELP THEM even if it’s inconvenient or costly. The sheep's good works were simple (no special talent or abilities needed to feed the hungry, etc.), directed toward "the least of these" (rather than those highly valued by the culture), and uncalculating (they had no expectation of returns, rewards, or reimbursements). That's just what love does. A striking lesson in Jesus' message is that He so identifies with the poor and needy that anything good done for them is done for Him and will be rewarded as such. The sheep inherit the kingdom God prepared for them since the creation of the world. The goats are banished into punishment not prepared for them but for the devil and his angels. Now I can no longer hide behind the interpretive rabbit trails which in the past kept me from seeing the real point of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 25: God will judge us based on how we cared for the poor and needy. Whether or not I recognize Jesus in the homeless man on the street, the neglected dementia-tainted lady in the nursing home, or the uninviting, abandoned felon in the county jail, love should move me to respond to their need. God will judge us based on how we respond to the poor and needy. Here's the video of the complete sermon delivered at Calvary Church: https://vimeo.com/131460165

HOW ARE JESUS' FOLLOWERS TO RESPOND TO THOSE WHO WRONG OR HURT THEM? In Matthew 28 Jesus commanded His followers to follow specific and detailed steps for rebuking the one who sinned against them with the goal of reconciliation (winning their brother). Ultimately if the sinner refuses to repent, Jesus commanded the church to expel and shun them (cf 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; Romans 16:17, 18; Titus 3:10, 11). In that setting Jesus promised to answer the prayers of two or three gathered in His Name and promised His special presence. These verses (Matthew 18:18-20) are in the context of the command to confront and to shun -- in other words, the promises were given to believers who are being obedient to Jesus' directives for confronting sin. It is His answer to the question, "After I have rebuked and shunned them, what do I do?" Jesus said: "Pray . . . in partnership with others gathered in My Name." Perhaps we don't see more people restored in answer to prayer because we have not been willing to first enact Jesus' clear "steps" for rebuking. Next Jesus told the startling story about the unforgiving servant with the powerful lessons that we must forgive because God has forgiven us and we must forgive or else God will not forgive us. I will never be able to forgive from my heart till I understand that my debt to God is the $12 million debt in the story compared to the sins of others against me represented by the $20 debt in the story. However, in the passage, it is clear that our forgiveness, LIKE GOD'S is for those who repent (see Luke 17:3, 4). God does not forgive everyone -- only those who repent and believe. This is not license to hold bitterness or seek vengeance. On the contrary, although Jesus never commanded His followers to forgive unrepentant sinners, He did mandate that they love their enemies, pray for them, bless them, and do good to them (Luke 6:27, 28) and Paul adds that they are never to retaliate or seek revenge but rather are to repay evil with good, even feeding and giving drink to their unrepentant "enemies" (Romans 12:17-21). For a much fuller presentation of all this including practical suggestions on forgiving those who hurt us, see the video sermon at https://vimeo.com/130239033.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: I noticed right after Christmas that the newspaper ads were full of exercise machines on sale. I couldn't help but wonder if those weren't targeting those of us who ate too much over the holiday and/or were making New Year's resolutions about pursuing regular exercise in our lives. Paul wrote to Timothy about spiritual training in 1 Timothy 4:7, 8: "Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." Many Christians have chosen to pursue spiritual disciplines . . . not to win God's approval, but, like physical exercise, to develop godly habits that will make us spiritually strong and better able to serve God. I can't remember who first suggested two categories of spiritual disciplines: engagement and denial, but I have found these to be very helpful IF, like physical exercise, I am faithful in practicing them. It's my plan in the New Year, to focus on one discipline each week and then repeat the sequence again. Repetitions in godly disciplines build spiritual muscles even as repetitions in physical workouts build physical muscles. Here's a description of 7 disciples of engagement and 6 disciplines of denial: Disciplines of Engagement (things I intentionally do) 1. Bible study – carefully examine the Scriptures every day not to gain information, but in order to become more like Jesus. 2. Prayer – communicate to God my adoration, thanks, confession, and requests for others and for self. 3. Community worship – gather weekly with my Christian family to praise, pray, serve, give, and learn. 4. Fellowship – regularly share life and resources with other believers. 5. Good works – do good things to relieve suffering and meet needs. 6. Giving/Generosity – be quick to share what God has given me to relieve suffering, meet needs, spread the Gospel, and build Jesus’ church. 7. Evangelism – eagerly take every opportunity to talk to others about Jesus and the Gospel Disciplines of Denial (things I intentionally do NOT do) 8. Fasting – give up food or some other regular activity for a time in order to prioritize serious prayer. 9. Solitude – separate myself from people and activities to be alone with God. 10. Silence – take time to be quiet before God in order to listen to Him and to be quiet with people so as to not say too much or the wrong thing (defensive, retaliatory, unkind, critical, condemning). 11. Secrecy – not tell anyone about good things I have done. 12. Simplicity – slow down, pare down, do/buy/possess/and eat less in order to have more energy, time, and resources to enjoy and help other people. 13. Chastity – guard purity in my mind, motives, speech, deeds, entertainment, and technology.

The BIG STORY OF THE BIBLE: The Bible contains many stories; but all the stories together make up ONE STORY . . . God’s story; the human story; the world’s story; my story, your story, everyone’s story; the story of which every other story is a part: The Bible is a story: Creation  Rebellion and Ruin  Redemption  Restoration Chapter #1: Creation: God made a perfect world. He made the first humans, Adam and Eve, in His own image, to rule and manage His perfect creation. They lived in perfect harmony with God, each other, and the entire creation. It was Paradise; heaven on earth! Everything was perfect! Chapter #2: Rebellion and Ruin: Created in God’s image, Adam and Eve had the capacity for moral self-determination—the ability to choose right or wrong, so their relationship with God was real, personal, dynamic, and intimate. They were not automatons, the original “Stepford People.” Adam and Eve chose to sin by breaking the one rule God gave them. Their sin of rebellion against God changed them, their yet-to-be-born descendants, and the entire creation. Everything was ruined. Now they were and we are broken people living in a broken world. The world is still beautiful but it is also very, very broken – filled with selfishness, injustice, poverty, violence, pain, tears, sickness, suffering, and death. Chapter #3: Redemption: God still loved His broken creatures so He PROMISED to send a RESCUER into the world who would REDEEM sinners and conquer death so they could be forgiven, made new, and given eternal life. Chapter #4: Restoration: God PROMISED that the Rescuer would ultimately RESTORE His ruined creation to its original perfection; that He would fix everything sin broke, banish sin and suffering, and create a wonderful and perfect new heaven and earth where His people will live forever in love, peace, prosperity, justice, health, and fulfilling creativity.

HOW DO YOU RECONCILE THE HARSH GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WITH THE LOVING GOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT? Some people assert that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are very different. They might ask which one we should imitate. They suggest that those two representations of God are very different. Although the God of the OT is obviously very powerful and sometimes compassionate at least to certain people, they assert that at times He seems to be arbitrary, angry, wrathful, judgmental, legalistic, and unpredictable. The God of the NT, on the other hand, is loving, kind, merciful, and forgiving. The God of the NT seems a lot more friendly and approachable than the God of the OT. While many people buy into this dichotomous depiction of God, the truth is that the God of the OT is the same as the God of the NT. When the Scriptures are rightly interpreted, they reveal a God who is sometimes mysterious and incomprehensible to us (after all, He is GOD!), but whose character and actions display the perfect blend of holiness, righteousness, love, mercy, and justice. Because a finite human is not able to fully understand the infinite God, does not mean that God is inconsistent or contradictory. The problem may well be with our finite knowledge and understanding rather than with God’s character or actions. It’s important to recognize that to understand the God of the OT, a person must understand the story-line. Most of the OT focuses on God as He acted in covenant relationship with the nation of Israel in order to carry out His eternal plan to redeem and to restore His sin-ruined creation. Israel was a theocracy – a nation ruled by God. It was totally unique in history as were God’s actions in dealing with it. Many of God’s actions in the OT were to prepare and to preserve the nation of Israel so that through that very flawed people He could bless all peoples by by giving the world the Scriptures and the Savior. Often we misunderstand God because we don’t understand what He is doing, we don’t have His perspective, we can’t see the big picture, and we can’t see how He is going to bring it all together in the end. We’re like the man watching an artist who criticizes the early dark and incomprehensible brush strokes on the canvass. The artist might well turn to his critic and say, “Wait till I’m finished.” Even more importantly the Scripture makes it clear that if we want to understand God, we must look at Jesus. He is, as Colossians 1:15 and 2:9 assert: "Jesus is the image of the invisible God . . . For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." Jesus said: "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." John 14:9. Jesus is God in flesh so that we can know Him and know that He knows and identifies with us. God became a man and lived among us (John 1:14). Jesus is GOD – God in a human body; God who became a man and lived with broken people in a broken world so He could experience everything we do, and so that we could know what He is like. He lived in a family, lost his step-father to death, grew up with half siblings who mistreated him, experienced poverty, had a job, ran a business, was let down and betrayed by His friends, was slandered and falsely accused, was severely tempted in every way we are, had an unfulfilled sex drive, was wrongfully arrested, tortured, tried, and executed. He is Immanuel, "God with us." To know who God is, don't just consider the distorted picture some manufacture from the Old Testament or the New. Look at Jesus!

Many, including me, have wrestled with the difficulty of reconciling God's love with God's wrath (specifically expressed in hell). This was not the subject of last Sunday's sermon from Ephesians 5, but I did try to wrestle around the edges of the issue in one section of the sermon: Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. Ephesians 5:6, 7 That verse raises the issue of “God’s wrath.” The subject of GOD’S WRATH is a hard one for many people today. It causes many people to struggle or stumble in their faith. On the one hand they want criminals to be incarcerated and punished. They don’t want bullies, abusers, violent oppressors, murderers, rapists, molesters, and thieves to get away with it and go free. People are deeply offended at injustice – when evil is rewarded and good is punished. But on the other hand, some of these same people, are deeply upset when God, the only totally just judge, the One who knows everything and who perfectly balances love and righteousness, mercy and justice, when He punishes sinners and warns about future incarceration and punishment for those who are stubbornly unrepentant and who refuse to be reformed. The idea of GOD’S WRATH is both comforting and disconcerting; it is both encouraging and frightening. God’s wrath is COMFORTING to all those who have been oppressed, abused, and wronged but have never seen justice done. The wounds of their unrequited victimization mark their lives and lock them in deep pain that never really goes away. To know that someday God’s righteous wrath will bring about justice is comforting. We all want to live in a just world. We want evil to be punished and good rewarded. We are offended when someone does something terrible that harms others and gets away with it. We are deeply angry if a judge shows bias, doesn’t consider the evidence, and allows an evil-doer to go free and unpunished. To believe that God’s wrath will make things right – that justice will finally be done, we find COMFORT. But God’s wrath can also be DISCONCERTING because of the difficulty of reconciling God’s love and His judgment; because of the seeming incongruity between a God of love and a God who warns of eternal punishment in hell. To attempt to resolve these seeming incongruities requires us to understand what kind of Judge God is and will be. He is the only Judge who is totally just and fair; who treats everyone equally and has no bias based on age, gender, race, economic/educational status, or personal relationship. He is the only Judge who knows everything about everything past, present, and future (theologians call it “omniscience.” He is the only Judge who knows exactly what happened in every situation as well as why it happened and any and every related and extenuating circumstance. He is the only Judge who knows what you did, why and how you did it, whether you do it again, whether or not you are truly sorry for what you did, if you’ve genuinely learned from it and changed; He is the only Judge who also knows everything good or evil you didn’t do and how these all relate to each other. He is the only Judge who no matter what you have or haven’t done, LOVES YOU and wants what is best for you, and knows what is truly best for you, what will help you and what will harden you. He is the only Judge who knows what punishment, if any, will be totally just and fair for you as well as for the victims of what you did and for all those who were impacted by what you did. He is the only Judge who knows every possible punishment – what and how long – and how each would affect you -- whether it would help you or harden you; whether it would cause you to change for the better or the worse. He is the only Judge who knows if there is any hope that you can be redeemed and reformed or if you are so hardened that the best thing that could be done is to isolate you and keep you from doing something that will be bad for you and harmful for others. He is the only Judge who knows what is the just, fair, and right thing to do and who is totally committed to doing it. That’s why God’s wrath is to be both loved and feared! Here are a few things to consider: (1) Isaiah 28:21 calls judgment God’s strange and alien work (2) Ezekiel 33:11 lets us know that God doesn’t want to punish anyone: Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. (3) 1 Timothy 2:3, 4 asserts that God our Savior . . .wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (4) 2 Peter 3:9 assures us that God doesn’t want anyone to have to be punished: The Lord . . . is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (5) The Biblical descriptions of hell, while terrifying, in my estimation are clearly meant to be interpreted symbolically rather than literally. That takes nothing away from their reality or seriousness but cautions us from thinking that we know exactly what they mean. C.S. Lewis wrote am imaginative, fascinating, and helpful allegory about heaven and hell, not meant to be definitive, but suggestive. See THE GREAT DIVORCE. (6) The God who will judge is the One who loves us so much that He became a man to die for sin and rise again to provide forgiveness for all who would repent and believe (7) Whether I understand things now or not, I do believe what Abraham said in Genesis 18:25: Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? How God ultimately resolves all this in the end may be very, very different than what any of us now conceive or imagine, but I know this, HE IS LOVING and HE IS GOOD and that will be OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE in the end. I know this: God’s wrath is to be greatly feared and avoided at all cost, and that His love and salvation in Christ are to be joyfully embraced to rescue us from the judgment we deserve.

Elders in the church What are the responsibilities of elders in the church? 1. Lead/shepherd the church (1 Tim. 5:17; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2) 2. Oversee the teaching of the Bible to the church (1 Tim. 5:17) 3. Pray for the church, specifically for the sick (James 5:14) 4. Protect the church from false doctrine and divisive people (Acts 20:29-31; 3 John 1, 9, 10) 5. Resolve conflict and set policy (Acts 15:6-29; 16:4) 6. Oversee the church finances (Acts 11:29, 30) 7. Ordain new elders (1 Tim. 4:14) 8. Be an example for the church (Hebrews 13:7; 1 Peter 5:3; Titus 1:6ff) What are the responsibilities of church members toward the elders? 1. Love, respect, and honor them (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13; 1 Timothy 5:1) 2. Obey and submit to their teaching and leadership (Hebrews 13:13) 3. Refuse to listen to unproven accusations against them (1 Timothy 5:19, 20) 4. Pray for them (Acts 14:23; Hebrews 13:18) 5. Serve with them to build up the church and bring the Gospel to the world (Ephesians 4:11-13) From this weekend's message at Calvary: Living in a covenant community led by elders

Jesus' purpose and plan for the church • a loving family whose members are loyal to and take care of each other • a sheltering house where people share life and meet each other’s most basic needs • a holy temple where God lives with His people and receives their worship • a beautiful bride enjoying intimacy with Jesus, the Groom • a luscious garden providing beauty and nourishment for all who enter it • an intricate body whose diverse parts, directed by the Head, accomplish amazing things • a building under construction, founded on a Rock, facilitating collaborative and creative productivity • a vulnerable flock dependent on the leadership, protection, and care of its Shepherd • a holy nation illustrating how wonderful it is to live under the wise and loving rule of God • a royal priesthood representing God to the world and inviting the world to God • a global kingdom where King Jesus rules in righteousness, justice, wisdom, and love • a chosen people who live in covenant relationship with God and each other Who would not want to be part of a church like that?

What do I teach? Scott McKnight relates that when professors meet they invariably ask, "What do you teach?" The normal response would identify the area of curriculum they taught: philosophy, English, Bible, communications, etc. Scott writes: "One time, as a young professor, I asked the common professorial question to a wise and gentle professor: 'What do you teach?' His response stunned me: 'I teach students. What do you teach?' He made me realize in a new way what I am called to do...That wise professor's answer and question changed how I approach what I do. I need to remind myself of this as I enter the class: I'm not teaching just a subject matter but students who need to come into contact with the subject matter. The standard approach, where the focus is teaching a subject is not relational and personal enough. Teachers are teaching students a particular subject matter. They are not teaching a subject matter to students. The differencd is a big difference." In a few hours I will teach . . . as I do many weekends at Calvary Church. My subject will be the Bible -- God's amazing story for all people everywhere. The particular theme today is "Living in a covenant community led by elders." I know, it's not a very inspiring title, but it summarizes this special weekend when we affirm our member covenant and install the new elder team to lead the church. What I hope and pray I will remember and do is that I am teaching PEOPLE. The subject is the Bible - a wonderful topic -- the very best-- but it is people who are the object of God's loving communication in the Scriptures. Sometimes I, like other teachers, love to teach . . . and love to teach the Bible. Those aren't bad. But it makes a world of difference when I love the people I teach. May God help me so to do.

A Tale of Three Kings. Some years ago, longtime friend Dan Lenz gave me a little book which he felt would be helpful to me in light of some difficult times we were experiencing. The book was amazing! Today someone sent me a very condenced version of one part of the book. I'm posting it below. Tale Of Three Kings: Absalom By Gene Edwards A condensed version of the story of Absalom. I Recommend you read the full story of Saul, David and Absalom in his book, "The Tale of Three Kings." Which King are you? It warmed your heart to know a man like Absalom, who saw things so clearly. Discerning. Yes, that was the word that best described him—discerning. He could penetrate to the heart of any problem. Men felt secure just being with Absalom. They even longed to have time with him. Talking with him, they realized that they themselves were wiser than they'd realized. Such a revelation made them feel good. As he discussed problem after problem and solution after solution, men began to long for the day when this one would be their leader. He could right so many wrongs. He gave them a sense of hope. But this imposing, insightful man would never deliberately hasten the day of his own rule, of this they were certain . He was far too humble, too respectful of the present leader. Those around him began to feel a little frustrated that they would have to keep waiting for the better days of this man's rule. The more they sat in his living room and talked, the more they realized there were things presently amiss in the kingdom. Yes, things amiss which they had never thought of before. And problems. Problems were coming to light they had never dreamed of. Yes, they really were growing in wisdom and in insight. As the days passed, more and more of them came to listen. Word spread quietly. "Here is one who understands and has the answers." The frustrated came. They listened. They asked questions. They received excellent answers and began to hope. Heads nodded. Dreams were born. As time passed, there were more such gatherings. Ideas turned into stories, stories of injustice that others might have deemed trivial. But not this listener! Absalom was compassionate. And as those around him talked, the discovered injustices seemed to grow in number and severity. With each new story, men were more shocked at unfairness that was now, it seemed, rampant. But the wise young Absalom sat quietly and added not a word to these murmurings. He was too noble, you see. He always closed the evening conversations with an humble word of deference toward those with responsibility... But it was too much to expect that any man could sit quietly by forever. This endless parade of injustice was bound to stir even the most respectful man. Even the purest in heart would be smitten with anger. (And this man was certainly the very purest in heart!) Such a compassionate man could not forever turn his face from these sufferings nor forever remain silent. Such noble character as this had someday to speak out. Finally his followers, which he vowed he did not have, were almost livid. Their insights into the wrongdoings of the kingdom not only grew but abounded. They all wanted to do something about these endless injustices. At last, it seemed, the magnificent young Absalom might concede. At the outset it was only a word. Later, a sentence. Men's hearts leaped. Glee, if not joy, reigned. Nobility was at last arousing itself to action. But no! He cautioned them not to misunderstand. He was grieved, yes, but he could not speak against those in seats of responsibility. No, absolutely not. No matter how great the grievances, no matter how justified. He would not. Yet he grieved more and more. It was obvious that some reports drove him to agony. Finally, his righteous anger broke out in cool, controlled words of strength. "These things ought not to be." He stood, eyes blazing. "If I were in responsibility, this is what I would do..." And with these words, the rebellion was ignited. Ignited in all but one, that is. In the noblest and purest man in the room, this was not the case. Rebellion had been in his heart for years. He is both sincere and ambitious. A contradiction, perhaps, but true, nonetheless. He probably means some of what he says. But his ambition will continue long after he discovers his inability to do the things he promises. Righting the wrongs always becomes secondary to ascent to power. He (Absalom) was very emphatic that there should be more freedom in the kingdom. Everyone liked that. 'A people should be led only by God, and not by men,' he said. " Men should do only what they feel led of God to do. We should follow God, not a man.' I believe those were his words. He (Absalom) spoke of the great visions he had for God's kingdom—of the great achievements the people were capable of. On the other hand, he spoke of many changes he would make in the way the kingdom is run. Although he did not seem to notice it, he had stated two irreconcilable propositions. Many changes, more freedom. Absalom dreams. Dreams of what should be, of what will be: 'This is what I will do,' he says. But to fulfill those dreams, he must have the people's cooperation. Ah, this is the point men overlook. Such dreams rest totally on the premise that the people of God will be with the new leader, that all will see as he sees. Such men can envision no problems in there own future kingdom. What will Absalom do when people stop following him willingly? Ah, now there is a question. You see, there is no kingdom without discord. Even God had His critics in heaven, you know. All kingdoms follow a bumpy course. In the spiritual realm, a man who will lead a rebellion has already proven, no matter how grandiose his words or angelic his ways, that he has a critical nature, an unprincipled character, and hidden motives in his heart. Frankly, he is a thief. He creates dissatisfaction and tension within the realm, and then either seizes power or siphons off followers. The followers he gets, he uses to found his own dominion. Such a sorry beginning, built on the foundation of insurrection...No, God never honors division in His realm. "I find it curious that men who feel qualified to split God's kingdom do not feel capable of going somewhere else, to another land, to raise up a completely new kingdom. No, they must steal from another leader. I have never seen the exception. They seem always to need at least a few pre-packaged followers. Beginning empty-handed and alone frightens the best of men. It also speaks volumes of just how sure they are that God is with them. Their every word, if seen true, tells of their insecurity. There are many lands unspoiled and unpossessed. There are many people in other places waiting to follow a true king, a true man of God. I repeat myself. Why don't 'would-be kings and prophets' simply walk quietly away, alone, find another people in another place, and there raise up the kingdom they envision? Men who lead rebellions in the spiritual world are unworthy men. There are no exceptions.

This weekend it was my privilege to teach on the first half of Daniel 9 -- Daniel's amazing prayer and confession of sin.

At the beginning of his prayer (Daniel 9:4)He praises God as "the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with all who love Him and obey His commands."

I am overwelmed with the concept of God’s COVENANT OF LOVE.

A covenant/contract defines the terms of a relationship. God’s covenant with His people flows out of His love. Everything God does for us is driven by love.

The parent-child relationship is an illustration of a covenant of love. Everything the parent does for the child is an expression of their love – not because the child has earned it or always deserves it, but because that’s what a parent does (though parents are imperfect so sometimes fail). A parent makes rules that the child may not like, understand, or agree with, but the rules are an expression of the parent’s love—to protect their child from harm. If the child disobeys, a parent will often discipline them. This may be painful and misunderstood but it is also an expression of love – to help the chilc.

Marriage is a covenant of love, in which both commit that everything they do from that day forward will be done because they love each other. Unfortunately, because we are sinners, we sometimes violate the covenant and act out of selfishness rather than love and the relationship is harmed.

God perfectly enacts His covenant of love. He is never selfish, but always loving. Everything He does flows out of His love. His commands and His discipline are expressions of His love. The Sabbath year and the command to tithe are expressions of His covenant of love. These are discussed in the sermon -- you can listen at www.calvarymuskegon.com (click resources, sermons, launch sermon player -- a few days delay before the messages are posted).

What is my responsibility in this covenant? It is to who love him and obey his commands. If I understand that everything God does is because He loves me, it would be foolish to do anything except to love Him and to obey Him.