555

What does it mean to be a disciple, a faithful Christ-follower? This is a question we ask regularly at theGathering Fort Mill, as we say our mission is to "form Faithful Christ-followers." Over the last several weeks in our study of John we have Jesus tell us a number of things about that:

"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. John 15:26-27

We are called to be witnesses, because of the things we have seen (experienced).

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. John 15:16

We are called to go and bear fruit
We are called to ask (to pray)

Just a couple of thoughts from the last couple of weeks. As we have prayed through this and how we can begin to put feet to these ideas in a real and practical way, we are launching "555" this Sunday. We are very excited about this and hope that you will make the effort to be there.

Thanks,

Pastor Derrick

Holding on Loosely

A friend of mine used to tell me, "We need to hold on loosely to those things that were never ours to begin with." This was brought to my mind this week. We received a phone call from our landlord on Monday that the county was requiring sprinklers in our building for us to use it as an assembly space and that would cost $80,000, which they were not prepared to spend. So as of Monday, our space was going to be gone. My mind in a matter of hours went to nearly every possible outcome - from closing our doors altogether, to opening the long closed Fort Mill Schools for using their facility, the painful process of a new facility search, and even the possibility of having to move to a different town.

By the end of Monday evening, after I had exhausted my self with worry, God reminded me that the mission that he had launched us on--"To form faithful Christ followers, who live according to his teachings and live in authentic community," calling all of us to live on mission with him, and to pursue that every man, woman and child in Fort Mill with a chance to hear the good news of the gospel--had absolutely nothing to do with the building we have been in or will be in. Holding on loosely means for me, being reminded of the mission and renewing my commitment to pursuing that as passionately and faithfully as I am able as I am led and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

By Tuesday, we received an email that the issue may not be dead and that our landlords are in discussions with the county on some possible alternatives. Since then we've heard nothing, and while we wait expectantly for more news and pray, my biggest prayer has been that I will pursue passionately the heart of God, to live on mission with him, and to "hold on loosely to those things that were never mine to begin with."


Pastor Derrick

"Do nothing" or "Be nothing"?

From yesterday's text:

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

A friend of mine sent me this quote from Henri Nouwen, a Catholic theologian who lived and worked in the late 20th century: “The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her vulnerable self.”

This certainly resonates with my own personal experience. I've seen many men, with great potential for the kingdom, be derailed by a pursuit of their own reputation over that of God. Their heart would seem to be in dissonance with that of John the Baptist who said: "He must increase and I must decrease."

Yet in this text, Jesus says that "Apart from me you can do nothing." The implication then is that when someone abides in him, they are able to do something.

How are we to synthesize these two seemingly disparate ideas, wanting to make an impact and invest ourselves in things that will last, and at the same time not wanting to build our own fame. It seems to me that the reason that this can be a difficult determination to make is that the true motivation is often hidden only within the heart and mind of the individual.

I don't think that it is by accident that the opening verse in John 15 says: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." God is in the business of cutting away those things in us which do not bear fruit.

It brought to mind another familiar quote from a theologian and teacher of my own denomination, A.W. Tozer who wrote: “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply.” And one more from the Apostle Paul: "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Cor 12:9b)"

So back to the question, is it okay to desire to have an impact, to make a difference, to "be something not nothing"? Or should we aspire only to "be nothing," to abide in Christ and to allow him to use us in whatever way seems fit? It is a good question and one that I don't have a definitive answer for. What I do know is that both of these have one thing in common - a desire to see God's name made famous. On that there is no disagreement. These are the very heart attitude that the great vinedresser desires to prune into his branches that they might bear fruit.

Would you pray with me then, a prayer of David: "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" (Psalm 139:23-24)

What's In It For Me?

But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"  He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.  (John 12:4-6 ESV)

It’s the essence of human nature.  Self-centeredness is in our genes.  From the selfish “Mine!” of a child in the sandbox to the self-absorption of the guy (or gal) who cuts you off on the interstate, self-centeredness is our innate, default modus operandi.

In this passage, Judas Iscariot’s primary motivation is self-interest.  He plays the part of the philanthropic benefactor, the voice of reason railing against extravagance.  But in his heart his question is, “What’s in it for me?”

Sure, Judas is an easy target; he’s the turncoat, the traitor, the betrayer.  But we need to be careful here.  We all have some Judas in us.  How many of us have been guilty of masking our self-interest behind a veil of altruism?

This self-centeredness, this “Me first” mentality, is the root of all of our sin.  We place ourselves at the center of our universe and we become worshipers of self, devoted to self-promotion at all costs.  Judas was willing to sacrifice the King of the Universe to remain in the center of his own.  And our own human inclinations lead us to the same sin.  What are you willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of “looking out for Number One”?

I recently heard a pastor describe the remedy for this pernicious problem.  He said that a Copernican Revolution of the soul is required.  Copernicus, if you recall, was the Renaissance astronomer who first postulated that the Earth revolves around the Sun, thereby displacing the Earth as the center of the universe.

We need a similar paradigm-shifting realization.  We need to jettison our self-centeredness and allow God to take his rightful place in our universe.  David, the man after God’s own heart, wrote this: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

And again: “I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices... You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:8-9, 11).

These passages reveal something amazing about God’s economy: when God is in his proper position at the center of our lives, we get joy and pleasures; we get “the desires of [our] heart.”  What we were seeking through self-centeredness, God gives us when we delight in him.

It’s a typical divine paradox: our ultimate self-interest is fulfilled in self-denial.  Isn’t it just like God to use our redeemed human nature to give us what we were seeking all along?  After all, it’s in our DNA; he designed us that way:

“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.”

St. Augustine

“There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”

Blaise Pascal

So, what’s in it for me - and for you?  Eternal joy in the presence of God Almighty, the Creator of the universe.  Sounds like a sweet deal to me…

Lazarus Reflections

We will close out this Sunday a 4 week study of the story of Lazarus (John 11:1-44). While we will get to see the culmination of this story with Lazarus actually walking out of his tomb, the real impact of this story for me comes from the broader view of the entire story. We can see a number of characteristics of Jesus and his ministry. As I prepare for Sunday, I have made a list of at least six or seven things.

For example one of them is that we see Jesus as being purposeful. When he is told that Lazarus is sick, his response is: But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."(John 11:4) There is this consistent sense that Jesus lives purposefully, that his life and ministry have a direction, that he isn't just reacting and responding to things but constantly lives to glorify the Father.

Reread John 11:1-44 and reflect on the character of Jesus. See if there are things about Jesus that are new to this story, or if there are characteristics that are displayed here that reinforce ideas that we have seen throughout this gospel.

Then reflect on this: "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children." (Eph 5:1)

Let me know what other observations you make from the Lazarus story!

Jesus the pastor

Over the last several weeks we have seen Jesus interact with Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus. From the other familiar story, we know Martha as the doer, the one who takes care of the meal when Jesus visits, while Mary sits at Jesus' feet. Martha gets frustrated with Mary, and asks Jesus to tell Mary to help. I think we are able to in our head see the differences in these two sisters, and probably know people like them.

In John 11, their brother, Lazarus is sick and ultimately dies. Martha, of course is the one who sends for Jesus to try and do something about it. When Jesus finally arrives, Martha goes out to meet him before he even gets to town and says to him: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus answers, "Your brother will rise again."

Some time later, Martha sends Mary to meet Jesus, and Mary says to her: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus response this time is that he is very moved, asks where they have buried him and then weeps with Mary.

Two very different sisters who have both just experienced the exact same crisis (their brother has died), and each tell Jesus the exact same thing, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." And yet Jesus response to each of them is very different. Why?

To Martha, the doer, the one who wants action and answers, Jesus is very matter of fact, tells her that Lazarus will rise again. The story indicates that she did not completely grasp this, thinking that Jesus was talking about the the future resurrection. There is no sign of emotional comfort here, only answers, which is what Martha wanted.

To Mary, the response is very different. She is the more emotional, the more relational of the two sisters. Her biggest issue isn't the answer to the question, but the hurt she is feeling now which is overwhelming. Jesus knows this as well and instead of providing facts and promises, he weeps with her, he knows and understands her grief.

The reason Jesus responded differently to each sister? Their needs were very different at that moment. Despite the similarity in the experience, their responses are completely different, Jesus the pastor knows this (he did after all create each of them) and responds not with some sort of cookie cutter response but tailors his response to their need.

This truth both comforts me and challenges me. It is enormously comforting to me to know that my savior knows me and desires to minister to me in my need. But it is also challenging to me, as a pastor, and a husband and a father and a friend and a neighbor, etc, to know that I need to be a student of the people to whom I minister and be able to respond according to their need. I think it is human nature to project, to assume that whatever I would need in a situation is exactly what the other person would need. But this little story points to something very different. Each of my kids is very different, and therefore require different responses for the same issue. My wife is different than me and while my natural response to crisis is to fix it, this does not minister to her heart in the same way it does hers.

Paul hints at the same thing when he says: "And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. (1 Thess 5:14)" I think that we as individuals and as the church can be guilty of helping the idle, admonishing the fainthearted or encouraging the weak. We use the wrong tool for the job. We paint with broad brushes and fail to recognize as Jesus did that each situation demands a discerning heart, to choose the right tool for the right job.

Reflect on how much Jesus knows you and how it is his desire to meet you in your point of need and minister to your heart individually. This should give you and overwhelming sense of gratitude and peace. On the other hand, reflect also on how we might better shepherd those we are responsible for (spouses, children, friends, employees, coworkers, etc) and see if we might strive to be shepherds and ministers more in the mold of Jesus.

Pastor Derrick

Hypostatic Union

This week, Kenny taught us a little bit about the Hypostatic Union - the theological concept that Jesus, was one person with two natures. There are some that have said Jesus was God, a spirit that just co-opted someone else's body. Still others have said that He was really just a very special man. This may seem like just a technical argument with no real consequence for us, but nothing could really be further from the truth, this concept is absolutely central to our entire faith, and any messing around with this, isn't a small miss, but a fundamental error with enormous consequences.

Another theological concept we talk about is the idea of substitutionary atonement. To atone for is to restore, to make amends for a wrong committed. Paul said that "The wages of sin is death..." (Rom 6:23), and that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom 6:23). So you see the problem, all of us have a death sentence pronounced on us because of the sin we bear. The writer of Hebrews says: "without the shedding of blood their is no forgiveness of sins." (Heb 9:22), so again the shedding of blood is required for forgiveness, or an atonement.

The idea then of substitutionary atonement is that someone is able to take our place, to be our substitute in order to atone for, or have our sins forgiven. In order for it to be a true substitute, that person needs to share our nature, to be like us. That is what Kenny talked about this Sunday, that Jesus was a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief", and that we have a savior, that because he is a man he is able to sympathize with our condition (Heb 4:15). So as a man he is able to be our substitute. Nothing else would do to be our substitute but another man.

On the other side of the issue then is the idea that every man is sinful and therefore has his own death sentence to pay for and is then unable to be an atonement for anyone else. What would be required then for someone to be an atonement? Someone who did not already have their own debt to pay, someone who was sinless. Who was that? Again, Jesus. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 cor 5:21) Jesus knew no sin of his own and could therefore be sin on our behalf. What was it about Jesus that made him capable of being sinless? It was his nature as God! He was not born of a man, but begotten of God and therefore remains the only sinless man who ever lived.

So Jesus, as man was our substitute, and as God was our atoning sacrifice. No one else could be both. It isn't a small detail, but a critical truth necessary for salvation. Fully God, fully man. One person, two natures.

Pause and consider all that this means. Christ, the sinless God man, who motivated by love for us and obedience to his father, became sin. He took on our sin and endured the wrath of his father against him because he had become our sin. He did this not because he had to, but because he desired to bring glory to the Father and to express his love for us.

This should add dimension and layers to the idea of grace. Grace wasn't just demonstrating love by dying. But it was voluntarily taking on the wrath of God on our behalf to be our substitutionary atonement. Hallelujah!

Pastor Derrick

I am the resurrection...

I have been to Israel twice and both times I had the opportunity to walk the Palm Sunday road. It is currently paved and has street signs that don't date to Jesus time :-), but based on ancient maps of the city of Jerusalem is believed to be over the very road that Jesus walked as he entered the city for the last time on Palm Sunday. It comes down the Mount of Olives which is just to the East of the city. As you walk down the road toward Jerusalem, on you right is the Garden of Gethsemane. It currently has a church on it, but in front of the church are olive trees that date back, if not to Jesus time, they would have been planted with seeds from those trees. On the left hand side of the road, is the world's largest Jewish cemetery.

Why would the world's largest Jewish cemetery be just to the east of Jerusalem? Well, remember that modern Judaism is still waiting for the arrival of Messiah. They believe that he will enter the city triumphantly from the east, coming down off the Mount of Olives and he will resurrect faithful Jews as he comes to establish his kingdom. So their desire is to be buried as close to the eastern gate of the city so that they can be one of the first in line to enter with him.

In the Jewish mind, both in Jesus' day and today, the resurrection of the body was something that was to be looked forward to. It was often used as an encouragement in the midst of persecution - "We may not see justice today, but someday we will have a resurrection to glory, and they will not!" I'm afraid that for our modern western minds, where death is avoided at all cost, and dead things are not talked about much, that the idea of a bodily resurrection sounds a little odd, and maybe not as encouraging as it once was. In fact, I think we have a little bit of gnostic theology that has crept in that says our bodies are really shells that hold sin and disease and all things evil and that what we look forward to is being delivered from our bodies.

So when Jesus says that he is the "resurrection and the life" it maybe does not resonate for us in quite the same way that it did when Jesus said it or John wrote it so many years ago. That doesn't make it any less true, but means that we may have to work a little harder to see or feel the impact that Jesus intends.

Paul said:

"And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?" Rom 8:23-24


"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." Phil 3:20-21


What Paul seems to be saying, among other things, is just like adoption as sons, the completed work of Christ secures for us the redemption of our bodies, and this is something we wait and long for.

What are these bodies going to be like? We know they will be redeemed or perfected. Sin and death and sickness and pain (and maybe extra weight and baldness) will be gone. They will be recognizably human though, as Jesus appeared after his resurrection, in his new body, people were slow to recognize him as Jesus, but they responded to him normally as a person, not as some kind of spirit or ghost or alien. He even had the marks of his crucifixion still on his hands and his side for Thomas to touch. One of the last things that Jesus does is have breakfast on the beach with his disciples implying that in his resurrected form Jesus may have still eaten.

"Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality." 1 Cor 15:51-53

So let me try to state briefly our understanding of death and the major events that happen, and then a couple of thoughts about the implications of that for our lives today. We believe that at our death, the spirits of Christ followers, that have been made alive with Christ will separate from our bodies and be immediately ushered into the presence of God -- heaven (for those who are not Christ followers, their spirits will also depart from their body, for a different destination). Jesus said to the faithful thief on the cross: "Today, you will be with me in paradise." What does a spirit without a body look like? I have no idea, but I think there is a sense that it is incomplete, and that without a body fully worshiping God won't be possible - maybe no raising of hands or shouting or crying. So our spirits while in heaven with God, await a reunion with their bodies. This will happen at Jesus return (see 1 Cor verses above). Our bodies will be reunited again with our spirits now in a fully redeemed way, and we will be capable of fully worshiping God.

"I am the resurrection and the life!" Jesus came not only to secure for us life, presence with him - both here and to come, but came also to redeem our bodies, that we might be able to fully experience the presence of God!

So a couple of observations:
*Christ came to redeem not just our spirits, but our bodies as well
*Our bodies then, our flesh and bones, are not inherently evil, but inherently good though completely tarnished by sin, but redeemable by the work of Christ.
*If we are to experience a future complete redemption, then there may be some partial experience of that future promise now - maybe some healing, or deliverance from physical sin is possible as a partial fulfillment of a future promise.
*Whenever I think of these things, it convicts me that if Christ gave himself to redeem also my body, and that if I am going to be reunited with this body (in a much improved form) for all of eternity, should I not be a good steward of this body now?!
*There will be some familiarity in heaven. We will, after his second coming, have bodies that while different, will be recognizable as us and as human beings.
*God who created me in the first place, will be able to re-create me (and all who are dead in him), regardless of where or what condition our bodies are in. Whether I am dust or ashes or missing, or at the bottom of the sea, God's resurrection of my body can not be thwarted!

Jesus, John, Paul and others saw the hope of a future resurrection as something to be "eagerly awaited." Our western minds don't like to think about dying or death much, but Jesus words should give us hope. Hope for ourselves, and hope for friends and family who have gone before us in death.

Read some of these other passages regarding the hope of a resurrection:
*1 Thess 4:14-17
*Rom 8:11
*John 6:39-40
*1 Cor 15:49
*Is 26:9
*Dan 12:2

Think on these things and let me know what other thoughts come to mind.

Pastor Derrick

Little Words Mean A Lot

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. (John 11:5-6 ESV)

Clearly, the relationship between Jesus and Lazarus and his sisters was something special.  It stands to reason, then, that when Lazarus fell ill, his sisters naturally thought of Jesus, their friend, the one who’d healed a boy in Capernaum and a lame man and a blind man in Jerusalem, to mention just a few.  Surely, he’d be able to restore their brother to health.

So they sent him a message: “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”  They knew that Jesus loved Lazarus, and they knew that his love would guide his actions.

It’s a little word that gives us pause -- “So.”  Jesus’ love for Martha and Mary and Lazarus was unquestioned.  The surprising thing is what his love for them prompted him to do: he loved them, “so… he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”

This little word means a lot.  It means that Jesus waited for two days, not in spite of his love for Lazarus and his sisters, but because of his love for them.  And because Jesus’ love is always perfect, it means that waiting for two days before going to Bethany was the most loving thing he could have done.

And consider this: Jesus knew that Lazarus’ illness was terminal.  He knew that his delay would result in his friend’s death - and his friends’ grief.  And still, he tarried… because of his love for them.

Jesus told his disciples, “This illness… is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”  Ultimately, everything in this situation -- Lazarus’ illness, his death, his sisters’ sorrow -- was ordained by God to bring glory to himself and to his Son.

But it was also motivated by Jesus’ love for them and, therefore, was for their ultimate good.

That’s the way God works.  Even in the midst of difficult circumstances, everything he does for us, his children, is for his glory, and for our good… and because of his love for us.

I and the Father ... references

So I promised that I would put the many references from the I and the Father sermon (2 Sundays ago) up on the blog so you wouldn't have to try and copy them all down. Well rather than taking 1 day it has taken 9 days and has probably lost is umph, but here they are anyway. If there is no book reference, it is from John. Sorry about that.

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (1 Pet 2:21)

Relationship with the Father

· Intimacy

But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. (8:55)

“I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." (7:29)

They said to him therefore, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also." (8:19)

· Oneness

Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad." So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." (8:56-58)

I and the Father are one." (10:30)

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Gal 4:4-7)

Obedience to the Father

The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?" Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. (8:48-49)

"I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. (5:30)

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. (6:38)

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. (1 John 5:2)

Mission of the Father

Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." (8:51)

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." (6:40)

So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. (8:59)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matt 28:19-20)

Glory from the Father

Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?" Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.' (8:53-54)

I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? (5:41-44)

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved-and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:4-7)

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (1 Pet 2:21)

"Before Abraham Was, I Am"

The Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”  Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”  So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. (John 8:57-59 ESV)

Jesus’ contentious dialogue with the Jewish leaders reaches its climax at the end of chapter 8: “So they picked up stones to throw at him.”  They’re obviously upset by what Jesus said, and in their judgment his words make him worthy of a sentence of death.

On the surface, Jesus’ words don’t seem so controversial.  A bit odd, perhaps, since he’s claiming to have seen a man that’s been dead for centuries.  Clearly, his words carry a deeper meaning… a meaning that isn’t lost on his hearers… a meaning that drives them into a murderous rage.

These Jewish leaders know their Torah, and Jesus’ words are all too familiar.  Read Exodus 3:13-15 and you’ll see what an outrageous claim Jesus is making.  It’s outrageous… unless it’s true.  If it’s true, then it’s breathtaking, awe-inspiring… and life-altering.

Children of Abraham

They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did.” (John 8:39 ESV)

The Jewish leaders put a lot of stock in their ethnic heritage: “We are offspring of Abraham…” (John 8:33); “Abraham is our father” (John 8:39).

But it seems that Jesus had the same attitude towards reliance on ethnicity as John the Baptizer did: “And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:9-10).

Jesus says that the issue isn’t ethnicity - the issue is evidence: “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did.” The order here is important. Jesus isn’t saying that doing the works of Abraham makes someone a child of Abraham; he’s saying that doing the works of Abraham provides evidence that someone is a child of Abraham.

And what does it mean to “do the works Abraham did”? The writer of Hebrews gives us a summary:

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. (Hebrews 11:8-10, 17-19)

To be sure, Abraham’s justification - his position as righteous before God - was by faith and faith alone. Read Romans 4 carefully and you’ll be convinced of this truth. But his faith led to action: “Abraham obeyed”; “he went out” and “he went to live in the land of promise”; and “when he was tested,” he “offered up Isaac.” And he did all of this “by faith.” Abraham’s faith was decidedly active.

So then, what does it mean to be a child of Abraham? In answer to that question, I’ll leave you with two passages to prayerfully ponder: Galatians 3 and James 2:14-26. Be forewarned that I’m asking you to do some theological heavy lifting. Theologians have had difficulty reconciling Paul and James for centuries. Martin Luther, in the preface to his 1522 German translation of the New Testament, wrote that “the epistle of St. James is an epistle full of straw” because of its emphasis on works.

So, if you have some trouble harmonizing Galatians 3 and James 2, you’re in good company. I’d encourage you to read both passages through the lens of Jesus’ words: “If you [are] Abraham’s children, you [will] be doing the works Abraham did.” Please feel free to comment.

The cross split time in two

As Christ-followers it is our conviction that the cross and the events that immediately followed it through Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit are the pinnacle events of all of history. While the incarnation of Christ changed the way we measured time (BC vs. AD) from a Biblical perspective, everything before these events pointed to and prepared us for them, and everything since points back to and draws energy from them as we anticipate His return.

Events of such magnitude should have an impact on the way we live, beyond just what we do on Sunday mornings. If Christ's work on the cross can split time, it seems to me that it should have a profound and transformational impact on each person. Too often, the modern church in particular, is satisfied with semi-regular attendance on Sunday mornings, an occasional offering (at least as regular as your attendance, but preferably more), and for those that are truly serious, maybe serving in Children's ministry every once and a while. I believe Christ's desire is much higher. His work on the cross set a standard of transformation that He desires to see worked out in us. His death secures forgiveness and justification, while his resurrection secures abundant and eternal life, and His sending of the Holy Spirit provides transforming power. Read and reflect on these passages regarding the impact Christ is to have on the way we live:

• Acts 17:5-7
• Rom 12:1-2
• 2 Cor 3:12-18
• 2 Cor 5:13-20
• Gal 2:19-20
• James 2:14-24

God desires more for us than a merit badge, or lapel pin that we wear alongside our many other badges and pins: "Father", "Student", "Businessman", or "Available". It seems to me that an encounter with Christ deserves more than a change in our Facebook religious views. Are we allowing our encounters with Christ to truly transform us?

Truly My Disciples

After reading the Great Commission a thousand times in my life, I had one of those "Aha" moments several months ago when I read it again and something jumped out at me in a way that it hadn't in the past.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matt 28:19-20

In the original language, the words that come to English as "Go", "baptizing", and "teaching" are constructed to clearly be in support of one overarching command in this verse. That overarching command? Make disciples. This is Jesus' commissioning command to His church as He left to return to heaven - make disciples. I had always read the Great Commission as a call to evangelism, and it is that, but again, the primary command isn't to "Share your faith" or as Pastor Scott told us this Sunday, it isn't to "make converts" but to make disciples.

This has put me on a journey of asking a few questions - What is a disciple of Christ? How do we know when someone has become a disciple? How do I make disciples? My background in business leads me to wanting to develop a list of key indicators, set up regular assessments, and establish a dashboard to track our progress. Thankfully, I've come to the conclusion that making disciples is a different goal, a higher goal than making or selling widgets, and doesn't necessarily lend itself to measurable, time based goals.

One of the things that jumped out at me from this week's text though, is that Jesus specifically told us one of the things that makes us a true disciple of His - "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples...(John 8:31)" A true disciple of Christ is one that abides in the Word of Christ.

This idea is not unique to this passage. Read the following passages regarding scripture and the Word of God:

Psalm 119:9-18
Luke 4:4
Col 3:16
2 Tim 3:16
2 Pet 1:19-21

How well do these scriptures reflect our lives? What place does scripture hold in our lives? Would we characterize ourselves as those who "abide in Christ's words?

If it is our desire to be a true disciple, and a disciple is one who abides in Christ's word, what changes might we need to make?

Many Believed

As he was saying these things, many believed in him. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:30-32 ESV)

“Many believed in him.” Finally, some good news. Jesus’ dialog with the religious leaders in Jerusalem seemed to be going nowhere, and it was getting increasingly hostile. So these words - “many believed in him” - came as a breath of fresh air.

If only Jesus could have left well enough alone. His once-burgeoning popularity had been on the decline, and this uptick was a welcome change in that trend. Why couldn’t he just accept his success - enjoy it, even celebrate it?

Here’s why: “He himself knew what was in man” (John 2:25). Take a look at the rest of the chapter, bearing in mind who it was that Jesus was dialoging with: “the Jews who had believed in him.” Go ahead - I’ll wait…

Makes you think, doesn’t it? Jesus won’t let his listeners off the hook. And John won’t let his readers - including you and me - off the hook, either. He keeps on challenging our assumptions about what it means to be a “believer.”

“Many believed in him.” Good news, but only the beginning.

Believe That I Am

Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.” . . . And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:21, 23-24 NKJV)

As Jesus continues to confront the leaders in Jerusalem, his words become more and more pointed. Three times in the space of four verses, he tells them that they are going to die in their sins - not necessarily the approach most of us would take if we were trying to win friends and influence people.

He gives them three reasons: 1) They’re not going where he’s going (“Where I go you cannot come”); 2) They’re not from where he’s from (“You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world”); and 3) They don’t believe (“If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins”).

The last reason is in the form of a condition: “If you do not believe…” And what is it that they must believe in order to escape a death sentence?

I quoted this passage from the New King James Version because the translators of the NKJV use a particular convention: if a word doesn’t appear in the original language, they italicize it.

Take another look at the end of verse 24: “If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” The word “He” is in italics because it isn’t there in Greek. It literally says, “If you do not believe that I am…”

With these two little words, Jesus asserts his deity - and he declares that life comes through faith in him as God and Savior. This is entirely in keeping with John’s purpose for writing his Gospel: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31 ESV).

John recorded a number of “I am” statements from Jesus (see John 6:35, 48, 51; 8:12, 58; 10:9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5). Take some time to read and reflect on what Jesus says in these verses and on what his words reveal about him.

Dying to Live

Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” (John 8:28-29)

In the humiliation of the cross, in the bitterness and ignominy of a very public execution, Jesus was to find glory. He was to be “lifted up,” to be honored, in his death.

The writer to the Hebrews puts it like this: “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). Did you catch that? Jesus was “crowned with glory and honor,” not in spite of, but “because of the suffering of death.”

And in his glorious suffering and death, he provided a way for you and me: “…so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” That’s why Paul was able to say, “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).

Paul had discovered the secret - to find true life, he had to die: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

True life is found only in Christ, in dying to self and living for him. Read Romans 6:1-11. Read it slowly. Read it carefully. Read it prayerfully. And ask God to give you the grace to be “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).

Not of this World

In this week's text, Jesus continues to engage the religious leadership and their failure to believe in Him. He ratchets it up a little this week, saying that their failure to believe in Him will result in their death, they will die in their sins.

No signs or miracles in this week's passage, but it did result in many believing in Jesus.

Read this week's passage, John 8:21-30.

What contrasts did Jesus draw between Himself and the religious leaders?
What was Jesus' issue with the religious leadership?
Was what they religious establishment doing unique to them or is it a broader issue for all of us?
What is the solution to this problem as Jesus lays it out in this text?

I believe that God has something transformational for us this week. Pray that your heart would be prepared to hear from God this week.

I am a witness

One of the other topics that Jesus and the Jewish leaders discussed in this weeks text was the concept of witness. The Jewish leaders were concerned that Jesus was making statements without any corroboration and therefore were unreliable, because Jewish law required two witnesses to something. Jesus' response was that God the Father and He were both witnesses to His character and His role.

As I thought about the concept that God the Father and Jesus were both witnesses to the character of God, it reminded me that in Acts, we, Christ-followers, are also called to be witnesses:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8

It struck me that in much the same way that we as Christ-followers are to shine a light, that ultimately comes from Christ, the light of the world, we are also to be witnesses of something that Jesus and the Father are witnesses to. Look up these verses on witnesses and consider what it means to be a witness, and to what are we to bear witness.

Deut 30:19
Job 16:19
John 8:14,18
Acts 1:8
Rom 8:16
Heb 10:15

I am the light of the world

In this Sunday's text, Jesus claimed to be "the light of the World."

What exactly did Jesus mean? What does it mean that Jesus was the light of the World?

The word light appears in the Bible nearly 250 times. It first appears in Gen 1:3 when God declares "Let there be light." It was God's very first act of creation. Look up the following verses and reflect on the meaning of "light" in each one. Then spend some time reflecting on how that would add meaning to Jesus declaring that He is the "Light of the World."

Gen 1:3
Ex 3:1-4
Ex 13:21, 19:18
Ex 40:38
Ps 43:3
Ps 119:105
Is 6:15
Is 60:3
Mt 5:14-16
1 Cor 4:5
Eph 5:13-14

The Light of Life

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

In this week’s text, Jesus makes the second of the seven “I am” statements recorded by John in his Gospel (see also John 6:35, 48, 51; 9:5; 10:7, 9; 10:11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1). Jesus’ announcement continues a theme that’s been repeated throughout the first half of the book, beginning in the Prologue: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5; see also 1:9; 3:19-21; 9:5; 12:35-36; 12:46).

Jesus came to drive back the darkness. He came to enlighten darkened hearts and give life. His words provoke a crisis; they demand a decision: follow Christ and walk in the light of life, or reject him and walk in darkness.

As we prepare our hearts for worship this Sunday, let’s pray as Paul prayed, “…that the eyes of [our] hearts may be enlightened, so that [we] may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19).

No Condemnation

Jesus…said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." (John 8:10-11)

Under the Law, this woman, caught in the act of adultery, was condemnable and deserving of death (see Leviticus 20:10). But Jesus didn’t go there. Instead of condemning, Jesus offered grace and forgiveness.

This is entirely in keeping with his mission: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). God sent Jesus into the world to bring salvation. And salvation - deliverance from sin and its effects - is provided to those who have faith in Christ: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned” (John 3:18).

In the words of the apostle Paul, those who have placed their faith in Jesus are “in Christ,” and they are no longer under condemnation: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).

If you are “in Christ,” saved by grace through faith and reconciled to God, you have been set free from sin and death. You are no longer condemned; instead, you are free not to sin. Before your conversion, you were in slavery to sin and therefore unable not to sin. “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18).

The great theologian and philosopher Bob Dylan put it like this:

You’re gonna have to serve somebody

Yes, you’re gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

Paul’s conclusion: “Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life” (Romans 6:22). Salvation leads to sanctification; deliverance from sin and death results in transformation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I encourage you to spend some time meditating on the miraculous truth that Christ came, not to condemn, but to save and forgive and redeem and restore and transform. And then, give thanks to God for this “inexpressible gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15)!

Judgment, Grace, Transformation

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”. . . And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”. . . But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." (John 8:3-5, 7, 9-11)

We are the woman. All of us. We are all sinners, deserving of judgment and condemnation. David has it exactly right: “There is none who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:3). So the scribes and Pharisees are completely justified in confronting the woman’s sin and advocating the proper penalty under the law.

But Jesus doesn’t confront her sin alone. He compels her accusers to consider their own position before God and, amazingly, they fade into the background - perhaps as they were forced to consider the many ways in which they, too, had violated God’s law and fallen short of his standards.

Then, as they stand their together, Jesus and the woman, he asks an amazing rhetorical question: “Where are your accusers? Who remains to condemn you?” Her answer - “No one, Lord” - isn’t completely accurate; Jesus remains, and he alone has full authority to render judgment and proscribe condemnation (see John 5:22-29).

But he doesn’t judge. He doesn’t condemn. Instead, he offers grace. He offers deliverance from a death sentence. And he alone has full authority to offer grace and forgiveness: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23; see Matthew 9:1-8). In the words of the apostle Paul: “For by grace you have been saved through faith… it is the gift of God…” (Ephesians 2:8).

And true repentance, in response to grace and forgiveness, engenders life change. This is what Jesus demands from the woman: “Go and sin no more.” Being a Christ follower is more than a belief system; it’s a lifestyle. In God’s economy, true repentance = transformation. Paul continues: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

We are the woman. All of us. We are all sinners, deserving of judgment and condemnation. And Jesus offers all of us grace and forgiveness and the opportunity to live a transformed life, reconciled to God.

Go and sin no more

This week's text, John 7:53-8:11, is a familiar story of Jewish leaders bringing a woman caught in adultery to Jesus and asking him whether she should be stoned to death, and Jesus responds with the famous: "Let him who is without sin throw the first stone."

While being familiar, it is also one of the most contested passages in the Bible. Some date would indicate that it is not original to the writing of the gospel. Most translations make some sort of remark to indicate that there is some discussion about it and some even leave the verses out. The details of this discussion will be too much for a sermon so for those that may have an interest in the more technical aspects of this argument I will include the main points here.

1. The NT is translated to English from an original Greek. We do not have any of the original manuscripts. What we have are copies the earliest of which date to several 100 years after Christ. This passage is not included in the earliest and most complete (and therefore considered most reliable) manuscripts.

2. There are a number of words that are included in this passage that are not used anywhere else by John. There are two words for crowd in Greek - ochlos and laos. John prefers ochlos while this passage uses laos, which is more characteristic of Mark and Luke.

3. The earliest extra-biblical writings that we have, that are often letters from pastors and teachers, fail to comment on this passage. While not definitive it is noteworthy that none of the earliest teachers seem to not its existence.

4. There is some disagreement as to how well it fits at this point in the narrative. Some manuscripts place the story in other places or even other books of the Bible.

5. There is, however, no disagreement that the Christ pictured in this passage is consistent with the portrait that is being painted by the gospels. The savior who came not to condemn, but to save.

6. There is a particular early disciple named, Papias, who was to have known John personally, who seems to point to John being aware of a story about a "woman who was accused before the Lord..."

7. By the 4th century, writers and church leaders, including St. Augustine, seem to have knowledge of it. In fact, the indication is that Augustine may have removed the story from his text for fear that it would give women grounds to appeal infidelity. So the arguement that it was in John at one point and then removed can't be completely dismissed.

The consensus of scholarship is that while it can not be authoritatively attributed to John, the passage seems to ring of an authentic story and seems to display the authentic Jesus, and is therefore profitable for us to study.

Information included here was drawn from William Hendriksen, John, NTC and Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, NICNT.

Streams of living water

I have had the privilege to visit Israel twice. While it is referred to as the land "flowing with milk and honey" much of it is very desert like. Then for a brief time each year, the rainy season comes, and the desert is transformed into a green and fertile garden spot. Finding water, collecting water and protecting water become everpresent activities. Even in modern Israel, the Sea of Galilee supplies 70% of the fresh water for the entire country. Over the last decade or so the level has been slowly dropping and is of concern to them. In fact one of the issues in the 6 day war back in 1967, was for Israel to regain control over the Golan Heights to provide a buffer between Syria and the Sea of Galilee, the country's primary source of water.

In our experience, few of us have ever known truly restricted water. It is in this culture that values and appreciates water that Jesus ministered. In this week's text, Jesus said: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" (John 7:37b-38) Pastor Scott pointed out that it is the the drinking in of Jesus does not result only in the satisfaction of our own heart, but results in our heart being a source of living water flowing out. An amazing idea.

I began to realize how many times we had talked of water in the Gospel of John, and when I looked it was even more dramatic than I thought. The word water is used 25 times in the Gospel of John, and only 19 times in the other three gospels combined. The list of every time water is used in John is below. Read these verses. Observe whether there are any common themes in these references to water. Observe the different uses water has (e.g., cleansing or purifying, satisfaction or source of life, etc).

John 3:5, 23; 4:7-28, 46; 5:7; 7:38; 13:5; 19:34.