I have not done this ever before, but I have given you the entire manuscript of the sermon from Sunday. Listen at www.firstagwashington.org
Preached on March 29th, 2009
Mark 15:15-39
15Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
16The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" 19Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
21A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 22They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 23Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
25It was the third hour when they crucified him. 26The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.[a] 29Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30come down from the cross and save yourself!"
31In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! 32Let this Christ,[b] this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
33At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"[c]
35When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."
36One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.
37With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and[d] saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son[e] of God!"
INTRO
What is Grotesque?
The dictionary says:
Grotesque: adj.
1. Characterized by ludicrous or incongruous distortion, as of appearance or manner.
2. Outlandish or bizarre, as in character or appearance.
As many of you know, I like Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Sir Arthur Canon Doyle is the author. Here is a classic portion from the Mystery Entitled: Wisteria Lodge released in 1908. In this portion Holmes defines the term grotesque for us. The speaker in the quote, written in the first person, is Dr. Watson who is conversing with Holmes.
I find it recorded in my notebook that it was a bleak and windy day towards the end of March in the year 1895. Holmes had received a telegram whilst we sat at our lunch, and he had scribbled a reply. He made no remark, but the matter remained in his thoughts, for he stood in front of the fire afterwards with a thoughtful face, smoking his pipe, and casting an occasional glance at the message. Suddenly he turned upon me with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
‘I suppose, Watson, we must look upon you as a man of letters,’ said he. ‘How do you define the word “grotesque”?’
‘Strange—remarkable,’ I suggested.
He shook his head at my definition.
‘There is surely something more than that,’ said he; ‘some underlying suggestion of the tragic and the terrible. If you cast your mind back to some of those narratives with which you have afflicted a long- suffering public, you will recognize how often the grotesque has deepened into the criminal. Think of that little affair of the red-headed men. That was grotesque enough in the outset, and yet it ended in a desperate attempt at robbery. Or, again, there was that most grotesque affair of the five orange pips, which led straight to a murderous conspiracy. The word puts me on the alert.’
‘Have you it there?’ I asked.
He read the telegram aloud.
‘ “Have just had most incredible and grotesque experience. May I consult you?—Scott Eccles, Post Office, Charing Cross.” ’
Grotesque is not only strange or remarkable, as Sherlock Holmes says, it has the “underlying suggestion of the tragic and the terrible.”
I am sure that if you have been a Christian for even a little while, you have asked the question,
“Why did Jesus’ death have to be so drastic?”
“Why was the crucifixion so grotesque, so tragic, so terrible, so horrible?”
If Jesus taking our sins and dying for us is God’s plan, why is God’s plan so gross, painful, and drastic?
In a setting like the one we live in today where most people are not familiar with the teachings and story of the Bible this is a legitimate question.
It was a legitimate question for Jesus who essentially asked in the garden, Lord is there a way “for this cup to pass form me?”
In the first century one of the reasons that Christians were persecuted so severely by Greeks and Romans and other cultures Christianity encountered was the story of the crucifixion of Jesus in the Gospels.
If God is all powerful, why would he allow his son to be humiliated? They saw the portions of the gospel describing Jesus’ suffering as a weakness of the Christian God.
Though they worshiped gods in paganism that were not all-powerful, they were in their opinion strong enough to protect their sons.
Similarly, today people who are not familiar with the gospel story and the nature of God described in the Bible find depictions of Jesus suffering confusing and grotesque.
--“Why are there statues of bleeding Jesus’ all over?”
--“Why make a movie like the, The Passion of the Christ, that is so gruesome?”
--“Why couldn’t God forgive us without all the pain inflicted on Jesus?”
What is the purpose of Jesus being beaten, flogged until his bones showed, his beard pulled out, a crown of mocking thorns pressed onto his head, being nailed to a cross, spit upon, verbally abused, and basically beaten to the point of bleeding to death on the cross?
Let’s try to answer this question today.
First, the grotesque nature of Jesus death,
Exposes our sinfulness and the Father’s perfection.
What is sinfulness? What is sin?
Sin is saying no to God. That does not sound so bad, so why would Jesus have to die a grotesque death because I said no to God?
Because God is perfect and made you and me to be perfect too.
If God is all knowing, all powerful, and if God is love, then why would we say no to him?
Consider these Scriptures:
Deuteronomy 32:4He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
2 Samuel 22:31"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
Psalm 19:7The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
If God’s rules, ideas and ways for us to liver are perfect, why would we say no?
Not only are his ways perfect, they are given to us out of a heart of love for us, not a vindictive or angry spirit!
Why did Jesus die such a grotesque death? Because our sinfulness is so bad in God’s perfect sight.
So, since God is perfect, how does he feel about our sins?
In Ezekiel 16 God paints a picture of how he feels about our sin.
God says that he is like a young man who finds an abandoned baby in a field lying in its mother’s afterbirth, left to die in the elements. (God found a baby abandoned in a dumpster.)
He took that baby home, washed the baby, clothed the baby and helped it to grow.
Later this young man met the baby girl he had found and she had become a beautiful young woman. They were engaged and married.
As a husband he gave her everything. He was a wealthy husband and a loving provider to her and met all her needs plus, she was lavished with gifts.
Then, in return she chooses to become a prostitute. Then she decides she likes prostitution so much that she simply stops charging her customers.
Ezekiel 16:30 and 32
30 " 'How weak-willed you are, declares the Sovereign LORD, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute! 31 When you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.
32 " 'You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband!
The prophet Jeremiah makes a similar comparison of the sinners relationship to God.
Jeremiah 3:8I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.
How does God feel about our sin? He feels like a husband who has been cheated, disrespected by his wife who has determined to become a prostitute. God feels like the woman who’s husband has shamelessly run off with another woman and while the wife is left home lonely and sorrowful the husband is out in public with another woman.
In God’s heart our sin is grotesque. How grotesque? Like a grotesque feelings brought on by a cheating spouse.
He has offered us everything and we have walked out on him.
First, the grotesque nature of Jesus death,
Exposes our sinfulness and the Father’s perfection.
Second, the grotesque nature of Jesus death,
Equals our wrong and satisfies the Father’s justice.
In Genesis when God created man and put him in the garden he only gave him one rule that was a no-no rule.
Genesis 2:17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
The horrible and drastic sin that caused God to place a death sentence on Adam was breaking this rule.
Did Adam cheat on Eve? NO.
Did Adam and Eve abuse their kids? NO.
Did Adam get drunk? NO.
Did Adam and Eve use pornography? NO.
Did Adam and Eve make fun of God? NO.
Did Adam and Eve persecute believers? NO.
Did Adam and Eve worship other gods. NO.
Did Adam hate God? NO.
Did Adam reject the existence of God? NO.
Because Adam doubted God’s command,, stole something that was not given to him, tried to hide the evidence, and then blamed his wife death entered the world.
If Adam’s sin brought the death sentence, how much more does our sin bring death?
We think it common for friends to casually say, “I don’t believe in God.”
We think it common to hear God mocked on TV.
We think it common read of persecution of believers.
We find it common to encounter sin.
But to God, none of these sins are common! Has all of our sinning made God numb to sin and passive about justice!!! NO!!!
How much more do we deserve the death penalty for sin?
Now think. Jesus died for all of your sins and all the sins of the whole world.
Why was the cross so gross? Because sin is so gross and God is so just.
First, the grotesque nature of Jesus death,
Exposes our sinfulness and the Father’s perfection.
Second, the grotesque nature of Jesus death,
Equals our wrong and satisfies the Father’s justice.
Third, the grotesque nature of Jesus death,
Meets our need by displaying the Father’s grace.
Since we have cheated God, and acted in gross disobedience, Jesus died a grotesque death.
We have a debt of sin that was so huge that there was no possible way to pay it back. The death sentence on our lives is a light sentence when you consider that we really should have multiple death sentences. We are like a serial killer who has murdered scores and can only be executed once.
But, the grotesque nature of the cross proves one last thing.
The grace and mercy of God is absolutely amazing!!!
The gross nature of the cross shows the depth of God’s love for you and me.
God displayed his love for us.
Romans 5:8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
John 15:13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Ephesians 2:3-5
3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
John 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God displays his love for us.
--When the world deserved to die, God made an ark.
--When Israel worshiped a golden calf, God gave manna.
--When God’s people worshiped other gods, God gave judges to deliver them.
--When David sinned with Bathsheba, God kept his promises to Daivd’s sons.
--When Israel gave up on God, God kept his plans for them, to prosper them and not to harm them to give them a future and a hope.
--When the Samaritan woman was adulterous and worshiped what she did not know, God gave her the messiah and made her an evangelist.
--When the woman was caught in adultery, God cast the first stone at his son.
--Though we squandered his inheritance, he killed the fatted calf for us!
--When Peter denied Jesus, loved him and reinstated him.
--When Paul murdered Christians for their faith, God made him an apostle to the Gentiles.
--Though we are covered in sin, Jesus blood covers it ALL!
--Though we deserve a death sentence, Jesus died in our place!
--Though we cheated our lover, our lover calls us home!
--Though we doubt his existence, he displays his nature!
--Though we have cheated God, Jesus cheated death!
CONCLUSION:
Who needs the story of Jesus to be so gross? I need it.
Why does the story have to be so gross? Because sin is so gross!
Who needs mercy and grace? I need it.
Who needs to give God thanks for his everlasting love? I need to give him thanks!
Start song: “Who am I”
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Great Study Time
There are times when sermon preparation is work. Other time it is is exciting for various reasons. Today as I finished the work on the message for Sunday I was simply overwhelmed with the subject. As I sat at my computer and tried to type and thoughts came to my mind, I was so overwhelmed that I began to cry, then sob. God's grace toward us is so amazing. His love for us even though we reject him in so many ways is incredible!
A lady from our church walked in, looked in in my office and said, "Are you OK?" I could barely respond with words. A few minutes later my wife stopped by to take me to the store and saw my eyes, she asked the same thing, "Are you OK? What are you doing?" I finally got my composure back and went into the store to help my wife briefly before my lunch appointment.
If you have been thinking of inviting a friend to church Sunday would be a good day for them to attend. The Sermon title is, "Why was the Crucifixion So Grotesque?" Why did Jesus have to die such a horrible death? Was there not a better, less drastic, cleaner way to get and grant me forgiveness? To put it another way, what is with Christians fixation on a gross, suffering, bleeding Jesus? Why did God use such grotesque means? What is the big deal?
For you out in blog land. I have a manuscript of the sermon and will post it Monday. I will also post the audio on Monday on the church website www.firstagwashington.org where the sermons can be listened to on the homepage.
A lady from our church walked in, looked in in my office and said, "Are you OK?" I could barely respond with words. A few minutes later my wife stopped by to take me to the store and saw my eyes, she asked the same thing, "Are you OK? What are you doing?" I finally got my composure back and went into the store to help my wife briefly before my lunch appointment.
If you have been thinking of inviting a friend to church Sunday would be a good day for them to attend. The Sermon title is, "Why was the Crucifixion So Grotesque?" Why did Jesus have to die such a horrible death? Was there not a better, less drastic, cleaner way to get and grant me forgiveness? To put it another way, what is with Christians fixation on a gross, suffering, bleeding Jesus? Why did God use such grotesque means? What is the big deal?
For you out in blog land. I have a manuscript of the sermon and will post it Monday. I will also post the audio on Monday on the church website www.firstagwashington.org where the sermons can be listened to on the homepage.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Left, Left, Left, Right, Left
Tonight I am going to send out all who are willing and able. I am going to send you out, two by two, like Jesus did. I am sending you out in the power of the Holy Spirit! I am going to send you out with door hangers inviting people to the egg hunt. Please come a few minutes early so that you can hit the streets promptly at 7:00 p.m. All door to door people need to return by 7:50 for prayer together and to pick up children on time.
I will lead the membership class. Dylan is preaching in the auditorium to the youth and adults who are not going door to door. Please don't go door to door without instructions from Pastor. There are city regulations we must follow! Also, we have particular areas we want to target with canvasing.
BTY. I have been up since 3:00 a.m. and so I have gotten a ton done. Great time to pray and be with God.
I will lead the membership class. Dylan is preaching in the auditorium to the youth and adults who are not going door to door. Please don't go door to door without instructions from Pastor. There are city regulations we must follow! Also, we have particular areas we want to target with canvasing.
BTY. I have been up since 3:00 a.m. and so I have gotten a ton done. Great time to pray and be with God.
Dare to Share
If you are not thinking of going to Dare 2 Share because of cost, oh "you of little faith!" You should have signed up and trusted God to get the money because he has provided! Dylan has tickets. Talk to him! He can take more!
I am actually sick of people saying they can't go to camp a mission trip or an event because of money and other things on their calender. Just sign up and lets work together and trust God for the money. If God is leading he is providing.
For instance, youth camp is coming up in June and Kids camp in July (check the links). The kids have already sold a ton of candy this year. The cost of camp is $140 per student for our camps. Last year the kids paid only like $25 or $35 per person because their raised the funds for the rest. See, God provides! Let's stop talking about what we can't do and do want we know God wants us to do.
By the way, for the quality of our camps, $140 is universially cheap. Other camps in Missouri with other denominations that do the same stuff we do the cost is from $275 to $400 for monday through Friday of camp.
I am actually sick of people saying they can't go to camp a mission trip or an event because of money and other things on their calender. Just sign up and lets work together and trust God for the money. If God is leading he is providing.
For instance, youth camp is coming up in June and Kids camp in July (check the links). The kids have already sold a ton of candy this year. The cost of camp is $140 per student for our camps. Last year the kids paid only like $25 or $35 per person because their raised the funds for the rest. See, God provides! Let's stop talking about what we can't do and do want we know God wants us to do.
By the way, for the quality of our camps, $140 is universially cheap. Other camps in Missouri with other denominations that do the same stuff we do the cost is from $275 to $400 for monday through Friday of camp.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Trial
We determined in the Leadership Council meeting in March that we should try a trial run at reorganizing our Wednesday night ministries to make more room for the ATTIC Youth. I have talked to Dylan and we think that we should try this starting the Wednesday after Easter and run it through the last Wednesday of the school year.
Here is the plan. The youth would move to the sanctuary on Wednesday nights. The Missionettes would move to the youth room. The adult Bible study would move to the Children's church room.
Youth worship would be separate from adult worship. We would need a few more highly committed youth sponsors. Adult worship would be in the children's church room. We would serve coffee in the adult Bible study and keep it casual, perhaps have more question and answer time. Since adult worship would be a bit shorter and no transition time is needed we might get out right at 8:00 from Bible study. The youth could grow to 100 or more. The adult Bible study could grow to around 45 and then outgrow the building and we would have to do something else creative.
Dylan and I have talked about starting on the Wednesday following Easter and run through the last Wednesday of the school year. If attendance drops in the Summer we may go back to the old setting and re-think it for the fall and further growth. Whatever the case I need everyone to be flexible because it is a trial run and may be temporary. Or, maybe not. Please be flexible. Please let me know your thoughts on the adjustment. If there is a problem please let me know in a loving way. We are simply trying to make room for growth in each area.
Here is the plan. The youth would move to the sanctuary on Wednesday nights. The Missionettes would move to the youth room. The adult Bible study would move to the Children's church room.
Youth worship would be separate from adult worship. We would need a few more highly committed youth sponsors. Adult worship would be in the children's church room. We would serve coffee in the adult Bible study and keep it casual, perhaps have more question and answer time. Since adult worship would be a bit shorter and no transition time is needed we might get out right at 8:00 from Bible study. The youth could grow to 100 or more. The adult Bible study could grow to around 45 and then outgrow the building and we would have to do something else creative.
Dylan and I have talked about starting on the Wednesday following Easter and run through the last Wednesday of the school year. If attendance drops in the Summer we may go back to the old setting and re-think it for the fall and further growth. Whatever the case I need everyone to be flexible because it is a trial run and may be temporary. Or, maybe not. Please be flexible. Please let me know your thoughts on the adjustment. If there is a problem please let me know in a loving way. We are simply trying to make room for growth in each area.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Weekend Rewind
I am just thinking to myself that for many people the term rewind means nothing. If you have never owned a Walkman, VHS player, or had a tape deck in your car rewind is like...what?
So, here is the definition from Wikipedia, "Rewind, or reverse the direction of a roll of magnetic tape or various kinds of film. This term has outlived physical spool-based media and is now also used in digital media." If you are young, and in the digital era and don't understand the term I suggest you watch the movie, Be Kind, Rewind, with Jack Black and Danny Glover.
Anybody remember when your Walkman batteries would start to die and the cassette tape would play slower and the song would change keys and get lower? I sing kinda' low and when that would happen I liked it. I could actually sing along with Striper and Petra. It would last a few hours and then the thing would go totally dead and it was new batteries and back to normal speed for my Christian rock fix.
Enough of that.
Sunday was great. Worship was beautiful and people really got involved. I started a practice that I really hope to refine, of involving more people in leading the parts of the service. Also, I worked hard to preach short and actually dropped off the entire last point of the sermon in both services to end at a decent time and allow time for prayer.
Maybe tomorrow I will post the notes to the sermon since there was no handout. I really felt strongly about this message. Keep your eye out for them.
So, here is the definition from Wikipedia, "Rewind, or reverse the direction of a roll of magnetic tape or various kinds of film. This term has outlived physical spool-based media and is now also used in digital media." If you are young, and in the digital era and don't understand the term I suggest you watch the movie, Be Kind, Rewind, with Jack Black and Danny Glover.
Anybody remember when your Walkman batteries would start to die and the cassette tape would play slower and the song would change keys and get lower? I sing kinda' low and when that would happen I liked it. I could actually sing along with Striper and Petra. It would last a few hours and then the thing would go totally dead and it was new batteries and back to normal speed for my Christian rock fix.
Enough of that.
Sunday was great. Worship was beautiful and people really got involved. I started a practice that I really hope to refine, of involving more people in leading the parts of the service. Also, I worked hard to preach short and actually dropped off the entire last point of the sermon in both services to end at a decent time and allow time for prayer.
Maybe tomorrow I will post the notes to the sermon since there was no handout. I really felt strongly about this message. Keep your eye out for them.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Shooting
I took Ben and Gabe to a shooting range last night. I shot trap for a bit and the boys would explode in excitement when I would hit a clay bird. That was fun. Then we took their new BB gun to the shooting range. This was a hoot. All around in the other booths were high powered rifles and handguns. Then, there was our booth with the spring loaded BB gun! The boys are six and so I am trying to teach them gun safety and some basic shooting skills for hunting in the future. A few months ago I took them to an archery range to shoot their little 20 lb. compound bow. They did very well.
BTW. The shooting range requires ear protection and shooting glasses for everyone at all times so no one left with ringing ears or crazy stuff like that.
BTW. The shooting range requires ear protection and shooting glasses for everyone at all times so no one left with ringing ears or crazy stuff like that.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Weekend Rewind
Sunday was a very good day. It was great to have several visitors. I really felt that the message about Jesus' warnings about worry and greed was timely. There are times when I feel the need to preach timeless truths, and there are times to preach timely truths. This was a timely sermon, with timeless truths.
Our attendance was 144, that is great. A lot of people are still sick and we need to all be praying for physical strength.
I want to encourage you all to review the information that you received in the seminar on spiritual gifts last week so that our hearts will be open to the gift of the holy spirit operating in our church. We need gifts of mercy, healing, word of wisdom and knowledge. We need discernment and leadership gifts. Let's remain open to the Lord. Let's test everything and hold on to the good.
Our attendance was 144, that is great. A lot of people are still sick and we need to all be praying for physical strength.
I want to encourage you all to review the information that you received in the seminar on spiritual gifts last week so that our hearts will be open to the gift of the holy spirit operating in our church. We need gifts of mercy, healing, word of wisdom and knowledge. We need discernment and leadership gifts. Let's remain open to the Lord. Let's test everything and hold on to the good.
Who Do We Target?
Reading John chapter four I found an interesting thing. In chapters one thought three Jesus is pointed out by John the Baptist as "the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." The first few disciples follow him, apparently based on John's recommendation and his pointing Jesus out. Then, Mary his mother, seems to single him out at the wedding in Caana. But, John the gospel writer, does not give us any remarks of Jesus blatantly claiming anything about him self until chapter four. In chapter four verse 26 Jesus declares that he is in fact the messiah, the promised servant of God that fulfills all the Old Testament promises.
So what was the setting and who was the crowd that heard this amazing pronouncement from Jesus himself that he was the anointed one, the Christ? It was the Samaritan woman at a well outside of town.
It was an audience of one. It was a completely female audience. It was an audience that lived a messed up life (vs. 18). It was an audience that had religious misunderstanding (vs. 22). It was an audience that was outside Jesus' own racial circle, and outside his own cultural circle (vs. 27). It was an audience that had no position of religious influence. It was an audience that had no religious integrity to proclaim the message (this was not the kind of person you would ask to write a review of your freshman attempt at a religious book).
Maybe the church today is targeting the wrong group.
We set our churches up so that we will be appealing to the educated, well dressed, gadget carrying, person. Or, we develop a ministry that will appeal to the modern urban individual who is motivated to take calculated risks and be upwardly mobile in a setting of urban renewal. But, who really needs the good news? Who needs to hear that Jesus is Lord? How about the meth addict, with the burned out and missing teeth? How about the young woman who is poor and enamored with witchcraft? What about the immigrant who has the really heavy accent? What about the bitter young man who never had a real family and has no education and can barely make it?
It seems that often Jesus proclaims the good news to the least likely people. Then, when he is with the religious growth experts and religious power brokers of his day he castigates them. I think the church needs to target all the lost no matter what their background or appearance. But, today we live in a church culture that James actually speaks directly against. In part by the way we target a particular audience.
"Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" James 2:2-4
So, can we be successful in ministry today by simply targeting the spiritually hungry (vs. 25). Can we be successful by simply ministering to whoever God sends to our church, even if they are the disenfranchised (vs. 9)? Will we as Pastors be satisfied with the new converts God sends us, or will we be jealous of the other pastor who has rich, educated, "got it together" kind of converts? The answer to this question will determine the integrity of our church in the next decade.
So what was the setting and who was the crowd that heard this amazing pronouncement from Jesus himself that he was the anointed one, the Christ? It was the Samaritan woman at a well outside of town.
It was an audience of one. It was a completely female audience. It was an audience that lived a messed up life (vs. 18). It was an audience that had religious misunderstanding (vs. 22). It was an audience that was outside Jesus' own racial circle, and outside his own cultural circle (vs. 27). It was an audience that had no position of religious influence. It was an audience that had no religious integrity to proclaim the message (this was not the kind of person you would ask to write a review of your freshman attempt at a religious book).
Maybe the church today is targeting the wrong group.
We set our churches up so that we will be appealing to the educated, well dressed, gadget carrying, person. Or, we develop a ministry that will appeal to the modern urban individual who is motivated to take calculated risks and be upwardly mobile in a setting of urban renewal. But, who really needs the good news? Who needs to hear that Jesus is Lord? How about the meth addict, with the burned out and missing teeth? How about the young woman who is poor and enamored with witchcraft? What about the immigrant who has the really heavy accent? What about the bitter young man who never had a real family and has no education and can barely make it?
It seems that often Jesus proclaims the good news to the least likely people. Then, when he is with the religious growth experts and religious power brokers of his day he castigates them. I think the church needs to target all the lost no matter what their background or appearance. But, today we live in a church culture that James actually speaks directly against. In part by the way we target a particular audience.
"Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" James 2:2-4
So, can we be successful in ministry today by simply targeting the spiritually hungry (vs. 25). Can we be successful by simply ministering to whoever God sends to our church, even if they are the disenfranchised (vs. 9)? Will we as Pastors be satisfied with the new converts God sends us, or will we be jealous of the other pastor who has rich, educated, "got it together" kind of converts? The answer to this question will determine the integrity of our church in the next decade.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Demistifying Pentecost
This may sound like an oxymoron, but I think that there are many people who over mystify the work of the Holy Spirit and make following the Holy Spirit nearly impossible.
Here are a few guiding principals that I have been thinking about that will demystify pentecostal worship, practice and expression.
1. The bottom line is theology founded on the Scriptures. When a person has a question about an experience with the Holy Spirit, or lack of experience, there is always an answer in the Bible to their question. Theology answers questions. Also, theology guides faith and feelings. When you really believe or expect God to do something, it is easy to avoid confusion about what God is not doing, but you may be feeling. Our feelings must be guided by Biblical Theology and truth.
2. The ability to hear the small still voice of the Holy Spirit is the key to all of the Holy Spirit's work. Paul said that the Holy Spirit confirmed truth in his conscience (Romans 9:1). When we are convicted of sin the Holy Spirit convicts in our conscience. If we think a thought is from God we should test it with the theology of the Scriptures and some degree of reason and then, when we are sure by faith that it is God, we must act.
Let's apply these two ideas to some common Pentecostal practices or expressions. For instance speaking in tongues. How do you know what to say if the language that you are speaking is not known to you? You know by faith, through the direction of the Holy Spirit at that time, what you should say or pray in the Spirit. The same is true of ministry in the gifts of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides us in the use of the gifts moment by moment. Does God take control of your body and force you to pray in tongues or prophecy? No more than he forced your body to get up out of your seat and go to an altar and pray the sinners prayer. He worked in you and you responded.
People often come to me and tell me about their goose bumps, tingling feelings, a warm sensation, crying, and other physical feelings they may have when they are seeking the Lord. Is there a Biblical theology for any of these? No. So what do I do with these things. I realize that when the Holy Spirit speaks to me, or you, that it is an encounter with God. Often that encounter with God is very emotional and or strongly impressionable. When I get up to speak to a large crowd that I do not usually address, I get a dry mouth, shaky hand and knees, a burning in my chest or pit of my stomach. Is that the moving of the Holy Spirit, no, I am nervous. Now, when the Holy Spirit speaks to me, particularly something that I should address to people, I get nervous and also excited. Interestingly all the same physical feelings accompany the duty that I have at that moment to speak for God.
If you have what you think are physical experiences with the Holy Spirit know this, God works for a purpose. The holy Spirit is not an amusement park ride. If you have had a dream, some sensation or other experience you think is from God, you need to ask him what it means, what he was trying to teach or show you. Think of the pillar of fire and cloud in the desert with Israel in the Old Testament. Were those present for their entertainment and thrill? No. They were a constant message to them that God was guiding, powerful, and present with the camp. Likewise, at Jesus baptism, did the father speak from heaven to thrill those seeking the Lord by going out to see John baptizing? No. The father spoke a message to them, "This is my son..." It is also worth noting, that the Jews and Jesus' disciples did not spend any effort or time trying to get God to perform those miracles again in the future. The theology was in the messge, not the manifestation.
If you will attempt to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit he will give you what you need to hear from him. You will know it is God when it is confirmed by Scripture and Biblical theology. Then, you will very simply be able to follow with a strong confidence that what you are doing is God's will.
By the way, I think about 90%, maybe more, of knowing God's will is simply choosing not to sin, as the Holy Spirit helps us. Then, you are in God's will simply by default in many cases, because you are not engaged in actively stepping out of God's will.
Here are a few guiding principals that I have been thinking about that will demystify pentecostal worship, practice and expression.
1. The bottom line is theology founded on the Scriptures. When a person has a question about an experience with the Holy Spirit, or lack of experience, there is always an answer in the Bible to their question. Theology answers questions. Also, theology guides faith and feelings. When you really believe or expect God to do something, it is easy to avoid confusion about what God is not doing, but you may be feeling. Our feelings must be guided by Biblical Theology and truth.
2. The ability to hear the small still voice of the Holy Spirit is the key to all of the Holy Spirit's work. Paul said that the Holy Spirit confirmed truth in his conscience (Romans 9:1). When we are convicted of sin the Holy Spirit convicts in our conscience. If we think a thought is from God we should test it with the theology of the Scriptures and some degree of reason and then, when we are sure by faith that it is God, we must act.
Let's apply these two ideas to some common Pentecostal practices or expressions. For instance speaking in tongues. How do you know what to say if the language that you are speaking is not known to you? You know by faith, through the direction of the Holy Spirit at that time, what you should say or pray in the Spirit. The same is true of ministry in the gifts of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides us in the use of the gifts moment by moment. Does God take control of your body and force you to pray in tongues or prophecy? No more than he forced your body to get up out of your seat and go to an altar and pray the sinners prayer. He worked in you and you responded.
People often come to me and tell me about their goose bumps, tingling feelings, a warm sensation, crying, and other physical feelings they may have when they are seeking the Lord. Is there a Biblical theology for any of these? No. So what do I do with these things. I realize that when the Holy Spirit speaks to me, or you, that it is an encounter with God. Often that encounter with God is very emotional and or strongly impressionable. When I get up to speak to a large crowd that I do not usually address, I get a dry mouth, shaky hand and knees, a burning in my chest or pit of my stomach. Is that the moving of the Holy Spirit, no, I am nervous. Now, when the Holy Spirit speaks to me, particularly something that I should address to people, I get nervous and also excited. Interestingly all the same physical feelings accompany the duty that I have at that moment to speak for God.
If you have what you think are physical experiences with the Holy Spirit know this, God works for a purpose. The holy Spirit is not an amusement park ride. If you have had a dream, some sensation or other experience you think is from God, you need to ask him what it means, what he was trying to teach or show you. Think of the pillar of fire and cloud in the desert with Israel in the Old Testament. Were those present for their entertainment and thrill? No. They were a constant message to them that God was guiding, powerful, and present with the camp. Likewise, at Jesus baptism, did the father speak from heaven to thrill those seeking the Lord by going out to see John baptizing? No. The father spoke a message to them, "This is my son..." It is also worth noting, that the Jews and Jesus' disciples did not spend any effort or time trying to get God to perform those miracles again in the future. The theology was in the messge, not the manifestation.
If you will attempt to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit he will give you what you need to hear from him. You will know it is God when it is confirmed by Scripture and Biblical theology. Then, you will very simply be able to follow with a strong confidence that what you are doing is God's will.
By the way, I think about 90%, maybe more, of knowing God's will is simply choosing not to sin, as the Holy Spirit helps us. Then, you are in God's will simply by default in many cases, because you are not engaged in actively stepping out of God's will.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Weekend Rewind
BLACK OUT!!!
In the 10:15 service we had a black out, wind and hail, and some trees fell over down the street. When the electricity went out we lost the lights, and all the sound. The room was pretty dark. The sky was pretty dark too, so there was not much sunlight. Since it was pouring and there was no sound we dropped back to punt and wait for the power to come back on. That means we sang a really old song that a lot of people might know by memory while we waited for the lights. Since it was raining, we sang, "It's Beginning to Rain." One of our new members asked my wife what in the world the words meant. It is a song so full of imagery that it can be hard to understand without some discipleship.
Dr. Dale Breuggeman shared two great sermons with us on Sunday. In the first service he spoke from Genesis 12:1-3 as the foundation of the great commission. God blesses his people to be a blessing to the nations. In the second service he spoke from Joel chapter 2 about God's promise to bless us if we return to God wholeheartedly. It was really refreshing to hear two messages so packed with Scripture and information. I guess I have become desensitized by how entertainment driven preaching is today since that is all that hits the web and the airwaves. It is refreshing to get the Word of God.
In the 10:15 service we had a black out, wind and hail, and some trees fell over down the street. When the electricity went out we lost the lights, and all the sound. The room was pretty dark. The sky was pretty dark too, so there was not much sunlight. Since it was pouring and there was no sound we dropped back to punt and wait for the power to come back on. That means we sang a really old song that a lot of people might know by memory while we waited for the lights. Since it was raining, we sang, "It's Beginning to Rain." One of our new members asked my wife what in the world the words meant. It is a song so full of imagery that it can be hard to understand without some discipleship.
Dr. Dale Breuggeman shared two great sermons with us on Sunday. In the first service he spoke from Genesis 12:1-3 as the foundation of the great commission. God blesses his people to be a blessing to the nations. In the second service he spoke from Joel chapter 2 about God's promise to bless us if we return to God wholeheartedly. It was really refreshing to hear two messages so packed with Scripture and information. I guess I have become desensitized by how entertainment driven preaching is today since that is all that hits the web and the airwaves. It is refreshing to get the Word of God.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Provision Vision
Times are tough. Many people are having job trouble and money trouble. In this kind of environment it is easy for followers of Jesus, who walk by faith and not by sight, to give up and walk by sight.
Most people will not give up on Jesus, but they may give up on some of the principals that Jesus and the Word of God teach. This makes me think of Abraham, the father of the faith. Not only Christians, but Muslims and Jews look back to this inspirational and faith filled man. He was a great man, but he too was pressed by economic strain.
After arriving in the land God promised him, there was a famine. He left his new home and headed for Egypt to get food. On arriving he was afraid that the Egyptians would kill him for his beautiful wife and so he chose to lie and tell the community that Sara was his sister. The economic pressure made Abraham feel compelled to lie and be ambiguous about his marriage commitment. Does God want us to lie? No. Does God want ambiguous marriage commitment? No. But people do strange things under pressure.
I want to encourage you today. In the face of economic difficulty hold to the principals that you know are true in the Word of God. No matter how low you may sink, you will never be happy in any future economic upswing when gian is due to dishonesty and unprincipled living. God has promised to be our provider. Keep that provision vision and let it guide you in your decisions.
Most people will not give up on Jesus, but they may give up on some of the principals that Jesus and the Word of God teach. This makes me think of Abraham, the father of the faith. Not only Christians, but Muslims and Jews look back to this inspirational and faith filled man. He was a great man, but he too was pressed by economic strain.
After arriving in the land God promised him, there was a famine. He left his new home and headed for Egypt to get food. On arriving he was afraid that the Egyptians would kill him for his beautiful wife and so he chose to lie and tell the community that Sara was his sister. The economic pressure made Abraham feel compelled to lie and be ambiguous about his marriage commitment. Does God want us to lie? No. Does God want ambiguous marriage commitment? No. But people do strange things under pressure.
I want to encourage you today. In the face of economic difficulty hold to the principals that you know are true in the Word of God. No matter how low you may sink, you will never be happy in any future economic upswing when gian is due to dishonesty and unprincipled living. God has promised to be our provider. Keep that provision vision and let it guide you in your decisions.
Prayer Request
Pray for Stephanie, I think she has strep throat. Gabe had a strep infection Monday through Thursday. We want to be healthy for next week. Steph will see the doc today.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Good News
Sunday, with all of its little troubles, ended up being the largest normal Sunday attendance in my history as the Pastor, and maybe the largest in the churches history with and attendance of 153. Wednesday night was really packed too! 31 youth, two saved. 37 adults in adult Bible study and five in membership class.
As I mentioned Wednesday night. We seriously have to find a better situation for our youth group. They have completely grown out of the youth room.
As I mentioned Wednesday night. We seriously have to find a better situation for our youth group. They have completely grown out of the youth room.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Holy Spirit Seminar
This Sunday we begin our Holy Spirit Seminar with Dr. Dale Brueggemann. Last night I finished reading his book on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You can download his book and a workbook that goes along with it from Lulu.com. Since they are downloads they are very inexpensive. The more people that download the materials and print them for themselves the better. You will have time to see what we will be learning before the seminar begins and save the office a lot of printing.
Link to the book: http://www.lulu.com/content/6194802
Link to the workbook: http://www.lulu.com/content/6203349
Link to Dr. Bruegemann's blog: http://dalebrueggemann.blogspot.com/
Finally, a link to their ministry site: http://www.bible-resources.org/
Link to the book: http://www.lulu.com/content/6194802
Link to the workbook: http://www.lulu.com/content/6203349
Link to Dr. Bruegemann's blog: http://dalebrueggemann.blogspot.com/
Finally, a link to their ministry site: http://www.bible-resources.org/
Monday, March 2, 2009
Weekend Rewind
Sunday was a very good day, but it came with some challenges.
First, I really struggled with what to preach. I can come up with about three or four sermons per week when I am not in a series to guide my thinking. Thus, I approach Sunday with some confusion. Here is the deal, if you are in the Word every day and reading through the Bible once a year, you will always have more in you than you have time to preach or blog. Many sermons are good as far as material but not for that particular week. Many other things I learn in Scripture are for me and not for the church. So, I have to pray to make the way clear as to what goes into a service and what should be left out till latter.
Second, in the first service a young man was really moved at communion time and wanted to know that he was saved. It was a bit confusing at the time because he was weeping so deeply and we did not know what was wrong. As the Bible says, Godly sorrow bring repentance. What a joy for Pastor John, Sandy Seals, and me to pray with him.
Third, in the second service the congregation out sang the sound system again. The problem is that we were trying to teach a new version of an old chorus. Same words, different melody. Since the group out sang the instruments it did not go so well. I am just glad that we have so many people singing so boldly to Jesus at church!
Fourth, we actually started second service on time, but I had the wrong bulletin for announcements and I think I lost the few minutes I gained. It was actually quite funny. It proves that the pastor is clearly not perfect, still trying.
One of the most fierce attacks of the Civil War was Pickett's charge at Gettysburg. 12,000 brave southern soldiers marched across a roughly 3/4 mile field to attack the Union line at Cemetery ridged. The Union troops held their ground and in so doing, won the war. By standing firm under attack, the Union army won the war. Last summer Stephanie and I visited the site. We stood at the, "High Water Mark." Looking across that massive field and thinking about the bravery of those who fought there gave me a new idea of what tenacity means. So, the lesson is this, every gain in God comes with challenges. Often, when the enemy attacks the worst, we gain the most! If you are being attacked by the enemy, stand firm. Make him expend his energy and effort in a battle that we know he will lose.
First, I really struggled with what to preach. I can come up with about three or four sermons per week when I am not in a series to guide my thinking. Thus, I approach Sunday with some confusion. Here is the deal, if you are in the Word every day and reading through the Bible once a year, you will always have more in you than you have time to preach or blog. Many sermons are good as far as material but not for that particular week. Many other things I learn in Scripture are for me and not for the church. So, I have to pray to make the way clear as to what goes into a service and what should be left out till latter.
Second, in the first service a young man was really moved at communion time and wanted to know that he was saved. It was a bit confusing at the time because he was weeping so deeply and we did not know what was wrong. As the Bible says, Godly sorrow bring repentance. What a joy for Pastor John, Sandy Seals, and me to pray with him.
Third, in the second service the congregation out sang the sound system again. The problem is that we were trying to teach a new version of an old chorus. Same words, different melody. Since the group out sang the instruments it did not go so well. I am just glad that we have so many people singing so boldly to Jesus at church!
Fourth, we actually started second service on time, but I had the wrong bulletin for announcements and I think I lost the few minutes I gained. It was actually quite funny. It proves that the pastor is clearly not perfect, still trying.
One of the most fierce attacks of the Civil War was Pickett's charge at Gettysburg. 12,000 brave southern soldiers marched across a roughly 3/4 mile field to attack the Union line at Cemetery ridged. The Union troops held their ground and in so doing, won the war. By standing firm under attack, the Union army won the war. Last summer Stephanie and I visited the site. We stood at the, "High Water Mark." Looking across that massive field and thinking about the bravery of those who fought there gave me a new idea of what tenacity means. So, the lesson is this, every gain in God comes with challenges. Often, when the enemy attacks the worst, we gain the most! If you are being attacked by the enemy, stand firm. Make him expend his energy and effort in a battle that we know he will lose.
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