Thursday, February 4, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Staying in One Place of Ministry for a Long Time, and Surviving, even Thriving
Surviving and Thriving for the Long Haul
Dr. Kevin Shrum
The need for long tenured pastors and Christian leaders is significant and necessary. While there will always be a great need for church planters and itinerant ministers and while there are times for the Christian leader to move from one ministry to another, the long-term damage done by short-term ministry in the kingdom of God is incalculable. The blessings and the benefits produced by long-term ministry both to the minister and the ministry are multi-faceted. Yet, I have found that there are certain challenges that come with remaining in one ministry setting for an extended period of time.
The first challenge to long-term ministry is staying fresh and current in one’s approach to ministry. It is so easy to get stuck in a rut. Lack of study and a failure to remain spiritually and culturally engaged can produce a ministry void of spiritual vitality. While the gospel never changes, the culture in which we minister does as do the ministries we lead. Cultural aptitude is not a requirement for ministry. Cultural and ministry fads come and go. Yet, awareness of trends both within the ministry we lead and the culture can help clarify the context in which we minister and apply the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.
Staying fresh is hard work, but possible. The Apostle Paul wrote of his own spiritual disciplines in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 that kept him fresh. Consistent time in the Word and prayer is irreplaceable. Reading both old and new books on various subjects is essential. Digesting a few good ministry- appropriate journals is helpful, as well. Development of new messages and ministry presentations rather than depending on worn out sermons is imperative. Finally, simply being aware of the need to stay fresh produces a good pressure to remain engaged and current. Staying personally fresh makes ministry fresh.
Staying focused is a challenge, as well. If not handled properly, long-term ministry can produce a lack of focus and, as a result, a lack of priorities. Here’s how this plays out. In a long-term ministry there is a tendency to get bored with the daily machinations of the job. We think we know the job all too well. Mundane ministry is a killer. The inability to stay fresh can lead to a lack of focus that sends us on a wild goose chase into all kinds of extracurricular activities to fill the excitement void we experience when ministry is languishing. The end result is that our schedule fills up with many things but not the necessary things that make ministry thrive.
Extracurricular activities are good to the degree that they augment and not mitigate ministry. Again, the Apostle Paul addressed this much-needed focus with such metaphors as soldiering, farming, and running (2 Tim. 2:1-7). It may be time to ask some serious questions: ‘Do I need to be a part of this club? Is this activity a part of my ministry or something that keeps me from my ministry? Is this event a result of my lack of ministry focus or is this activity a part of that focus?’ Keeping a laser focus on the main part of our ministry will help us filter through the numerous opportunities that will come our way as a ministry leader. As Jim Collins as noted in his recent book, How the Mighty Fall, our ministry focus is our ‘flywheel’ that we must not neglect to spin as ministry opportunities come and go. The leader who makes himself available for everything may not be good for anything.
Dealing with the friction that comes in long-term ministry is inevitable and difficult. No matter how likeable we may be, there are some who will not care for who we are and what we do – no matter what we do. Leadership plus time can equal adversaries. If this kind of friction is not properly handled, ministry will become miserable and unproductive. Friction can wear on us personally, on our family relationships, and on the nature of our ministry. A good resource in dealing with conflict is Jeff Iorg’s new book, The Painful Side of Leadership: Moving Forward Even When it Hurts.
A good way to deal with ministry friction is to make a study of what scripture teaches concerning conflict and conflict resolution (Mt. 18:15-20 and most of the Pastoral Epistles). We must check our motives, as well. We must make sure we’re seeking what is right and true and not a personal agenda. We must seek reconciliation as soon as possible without compromising biblical principles. In addition, we must seek the council of trusted friends who will be truthful with us, yet supportive. Knowing that it may not be as bad as we think it is just as it is never as good as we think it is is key. I believe realism is the word. Finally, move forward. Some friction will remain. Learning to live with those who oppose us will teach us as much as what we learn from those who support us. Living with friction reminds us to live with humility and to depend on God’s sufficient grace (2 Cor. 12:9).
Long-term ministry can wear on our family, as well, especially if friction is constant. Pastors are notorious for being married to the ministry, while neglecting spouse and children. Do not do this! I repeat, do not do this! While taking care of the families in our ministry we must not lose our own family. Your spouse will resent it, your children will be embittered, and you will come to envy the normal family life that you lack, which is one of the reasons some ministers leave the ministry.
Make your family a part of your ministry and not an incidental part of your ministry. Continue to date your spouse and make her a priority. Set aside the ministry persona and be dad. Be authentic wherever you are, both at home, in the community, and in the church. Don’t bad-mouth the church, particularly in front of your children. They’re smart enough to know when times are tough without you running down the church. Besides, it disparages the church in their minds, which does not foster long-term commitment on their part. Make sure to take time off, especially extended times in the summer to refresh your spiritual batteries and have fun with your family. And pray. Pray that God will place a sweet taste in the mouth of your family when it comes to ministry.
Long-term ministry requires fortitude and grit. There’s just no way around it. Those who lack intestinal fortitude will end up moving from ministry to ministry. The slightest bit of friction sends the faint of heart on to the next ministry until friction arises again – and the cycle continues. Facing the fact that there are dry seasons in ministry is essential. Sometimes you just have to show up and then keep showing up. In fact, I recently told a young minister that he hasn’t really learned how to preach until he learns how to preach through the desert where words fall flat and things are spiritually dry.
This is why a good dose of hard-nosed determination, coupled with a realization that there are seasons in ministry that come and go, will produce a relentless faithfulness in us that enables us to weather the storms, endure the dry seasons, and relish in the seasons of harvest and fruitfulness. A God-produced fortitude is birthed in us not by our own power, but by a passionate trust in the hope we have in Jesus Christ. It is this kind of hope that enables us to get up when we’ve been knocked down (2 Cor. 4:7-18).
Finally, living by faith in a long-term ministry is the ultimate challenge. This seems like an obvious assertion, especially for the Christian leader. But it may not be as obvious as one thinks. It is easy and lethally dangerous to ‘minister through the machine.’ That is, we work the system, make sure all the committee positions are filled, check off the special events that click by from year to year, and measure progress by statistical categories, none of which requires faith. The kind of faith that we must continue to kindle is an absolute belief that all things depend on God and not on a finely tuned ministry machine. Order and measured progress are important. However, unless the Lord builds a ministry those who labor to build it labor in vain (Ps. 127:1).
It is my prayer that God will grant to the church a new generation of faithful pastors, leaders, educators, and workers willing to deal with friction, live by faith, and serve both family and church with graceful grit. Further, it is my prayer that God will grant an extra portion of grace to all those nameless, yet faithful, pastors and leaders who have given their lives long-term to places of ministry that are challenging and difficult. Great is your reward!
Dr. Kevin Shrum
The need for long tenured pastors and Christian leaders is significant and necessary. While there will always be a great need for church planters and itinerant ministers and while there are times for the Christian leader to move from one ministry to another, the long-term damage done by short-term ministry in the kingdom of God is incalculable. The blessings and the benefits produced by long-term ministry both to the minister and the ministry are multi-faceted. Yet, I have found that there are certain challenges that come with remaining in one ministry setting for an extended period of time.
The first challenge to long-term ministry is staying fresh and current in one’s approach to ministry. It is so easy to get stuck in a rut. Lack of study and a failure to remain spiritually and culturally engaged can produce a ministry void of spiritual vitality. While the gospel never changes, the culture in which we minister does as do the ministries we lead. Cultural aptitude is not a requirement for ministry. Cultural and ministry fads come and go. Yet, awareness of trends both within the ministry we lead and the culture can help clarify the context in which we minister and apply the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.
Staying fresh is hard work, but possible. The Apostle Paul wrote of his own spiritual disciplines in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 that kept him fresh. Consistent time in the Word and prayer is irreplaceable. Reading both old and new books on various subjects is essential. Digesting a few good ministry- appropriate journals is helpful, as well. Development of new messages and ministry presentations rather than depending on worn out sermons is imperative. Finally, simply being aware of the need to stay fresh produces a good pressure to remain engaged and current. Staying personally fresh makes ministry fresh.
Staying focused is a challenge, as well. If not handled properly, long-term ministry can produce a lack of focus and, as a result, a lack of priorities. Here’s how this plays out. In a long-term ministry there is a tendency to get bored with the daily machinations of the job. We think we know the job all too well. Mundane ministry is a killer. The inability to stay fresh can lead to a lack of focus that sends us on a wild goose chase into all kinds of extracurricular activities to fill the excitement void we experience when ministry is languishing. The end result is that our schedule fills up with many things but not the necessary things that make ministry thrive.
Extracurricular activities are good to the degree that they augment and not mitigate ministry. Again, the Apostle Paul addressed this much-needed focus with such metaphors as soldiering, farming, and running (2 Tim. 2:1-7). It may be time to ask some serious questions: ‘Do I need to be a part of this club? Is this activity a part of my ministry or something that keeps me from my ministry? Is this event a result of my lack of ministry focus or is this activity a part of that focus?’ Keeping a laser focus on the main part of our ministry will help us filter through the numerous opportunities that will come our way as a ministry leader. As Jim Collins as noted in his recent book, How the Mighty Fall, our ministry focus is our ‘flywheel’ that we must not neglect to spin as ministry opportunities come and go. The leader who makes himself available for everything may not be good for anything.
Dealing with the friction that comes in long-term ministry is inevitable and difficult. No matter how likeable we may be, there are some who will not care for who we are and what we do – no matter what we do. Leadership plus time can equal adversaries. If this kind of friction is not properly handled, ministry will become miserable and unproductive. Friction can wear on us personally, on our family relationships, and on the nature of our ministry. A good resource in dealing with conflict is Jeff Iorg’s new book, The Painful Side of Leadership: Moving Forward Even When it Hurts.
A good way to deal with ministry friction is to make a study of what scripture teaches concerning conflict and conflict resolution (Mt. 18:15-20 and most of the Pastoral Epistles). We must check our motives, as well. We must make sure we’re seeking what is right and true and not a personal agenda. We must seek reconciliation as soon as possible without compromising biblical principles. In addition, we must seek the council of trusted friends who will be truthful with us, yet supportive. Knowing that it may not be as bad as we think it is just as it is never as good as we think it is is key. I believe realism is the word. Finally, move forward. Some friction will remain. Learning to live with those who oppose us will teach us as much as what we learn from those who support us. Living with friction reminds us to live with humility and to depend on God’s sufficient grace (2 Cor. 12:9).
Long-term ministry can wear on our family, as well, especially if friction is constant. Pastors are notorious for being married to the ministry, while neglecting spouse and children. Do not do this! I repeat, do not do this! While taking care of the families in our ministry we must not lose our own family. Your spouse will resent it, your children will be embittered, and you will come to envy the normal family life that you lack, which is one of the reasons some ministers leave the ministry.
Make your family a part of your ministry and not an incidental part of your ministry. Continue to date your spouse and make her a priority. Set aside the ministry persona and be dad. Be authentic wherever you are, both at home, in the community, and in the church. Don’t bad-mouth the church, particularly in front of your children. They’re smart enough to know when times are tough without you running down the church. Besides, it disparages the church in their minds, which does not foster long-term commitment on their part. Make sure to take time off, especially extended times in the summer to refresh your spiritual batteries and have fun with your family. And pray. Pray that God will place a sweet taste in the mouth of your family when it comes to ministry.
Long-term ministry requires fortitude and grit. There’s just no way around it. Those who lack intestinal fortitude will end up moving from ministry to ministry. The slightest bit of friction sends the faint of heart on to the next ministry until friction arises again – and the cycle continues. Facing the fact that there are dry seasons in ministry is essential. Sometimes you just have to show up and then keep showing up. In fact, I recently told a young minister that he hasn’t really learned how to preach until he learns how to preach through the desert where words fall flat and things are spiritually dry.
This is why a good dose of hard-nosed determination, coupled with a realization that there are seasons in ministry that come and go, will produce a relentless faithfulness in us that enables us to weather the storms, endure the dry seasons, and relish in the seasons of harvest and fruitfulness. A God-produced fortitude is birthed in us not by our own power, but by a passionate trust in the hope we have in Jesus Christ. It is this kind of hope that enables us to get up when we’ve been knocked down (2 Cor. 4:7-18).
Finally, living by faith in a long-term ministry is the ultimate challenge. This seems like an obvious assertion, especially for the Christian leader. But it may not be as obvious as one thinks. It is easy and lethally dangerous to ‘minister through the machine.’ That is, we work the system, make sure all the committee positions are filled, check off the special events that click by from year to year, and measure progress by statistical categories, none of which requires faith. The kind of faith that we must continue to kindle is an absolute belief that all things depend on God and not on a finely tuned ministry machine. Order and measured progress are important. However, unless the Lord builds a ministry those who labor to build it labor in vain (Ps. 127:1).
It is my prayer that God will grant to the church a new generation of faithful pastors, leaders, educators, and workers willing to deal with friction, live by faith, and serve both family and church with graceful grit. Further, it is my prayer that God will grant an extra portion of grace to all those nameless, yet faithful, pastors and leaders who have given their lives long-term to places of ministry that are challenging and difficult. Great is your reward!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Murder of Death in the Murder of Jesus
Imagine with me D.C. without the White House, St, Louis without the Arch, Atlanta without the Varsity, New York without the Yankees, and L.A. without the Lakers and you begin to get a remote idea of what it means to have a gospel without the doctrine of the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is more than a historical fact; it’s the main motif and high water mark of the historical drama known as God’s redemptive story.
We leave this massive truth out of our preaching at the peril of telling only half the story, a half truth in an incomplete story that is impotent to save sinners. We must preach Jesus’ atoning death and victorious resurrection. It’s not an either/or proposition, it’s a both/and proclamation.
What We Preach as Resurrection
The resurrection must have been on the minds of the Corinthian believers as they questioned the Apostle Paul about the comprehensive nature, redemptive scope, and historical particulars of the resurrection. Had the resurrection of the dead already occurred? Had Jesus really been raised from the dead? Was resurrection even possible? And did any of this matter to the gospel they had believed?
Believe it or not, these questions remain pertinent today, even in our modern, post-modern, post-Christian, pre-Christian day (you take your pick at to the times we live in). Questions about the resurrection matter because the resurrection matters to the gospel we preach. If the gospel we preach is simply about how to have a better life, a better marriage, or success in business then the resurrection is unnecessary. In fact, if the gospel is just another self-help method then away with a dying God and a living Lord.
There are plenty of good books, websites, and magazines to help in all of these categories. Sadly, too many preachers have distilled the gospel in a minimalistic fashion that views the gospel as a ‘tack on’ to a life in search of success and fulfillment, i.e. “Let’s see, I have my pretty wife, my smart kids, my green car, and my house in the burbs. I care about the poor, global warning, healthcare for all, and being a good neighbor. I better add on this God thing to cover all my bases.” This is the plastic gospel of our era, which is no gospel at all.
If we are interested in actual success and not just perceived success, if we are interested in essential change and not topical change, and if we are interested in life-changing change then the resurrection is essential. If the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is true, and it is, then it supersedes all other claims – it makes all the difference because it is the difference between life and death.
The Apostle Paul’s answer to the Corinthian believers is amazingly comprehensive. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Paul outlines the basic contours of the importance of the gospel. The gospel is the life-changing truth 1) we receive and believe in salvation, vs. 1a.; 2) it is where we stake our claim and take our stand as believers, vs. 1b.; 3) it is what saves the sinner, vs. 2a.; 4) and, it is what we preach to the nations, vs. 2b. Preacher, this will preach!
But the gospel is more than just a truth with contours but no specific content. It’s more than just a nice story. Preacher, do you understand what you are claiming? We are claiming that a dead man died, but rose again and that this matters to our death and life. Amazing! Preposterous! Lunacy! The gospel is historical truth wrapped in a redemptive narrative that is breathtaking, mind-blowing, and God-revealing. Paul continues unfolding the content of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3-11. The gospel is:
1) that Jesus died an un-accidental death because it was predicted in history and in the Scriptures; and not just a simple, martyr death, but a vicarious, substitute death ‘on behalf of’ or ‘in the stead of’ sinners; though perfect, Jesus died in the place of sinners, satisfying the justice of God so that the awakened, repentant sinner might be given a righteousness not his own (see Rom. 3:21-26), vs. 3;
2) that Jesus was buried in a borrowed grave – used with the intent of giving it back, (see Mk. 15:42-47);
3) that Jesus was raised from the dead not as a divine afterthought but according to God the Father’s sovereign plan unfolded in history and Scripture, vs. 4;
4) and that this physically, corporeally raised Jesus did not hide himself after his resurrection, but appeared to numerous people in various settings at differing times, vs. 5-11. Preacher, this will preach!
But what does all this mean? And why is it so important? The Apostle Paul continues unpacking the importance of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 by first looking at what happens if the resurrection is not true, and then looking at the resurrection, by implication, positively by what happens because the resurrection is true. If Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead:
1) Jesus Christ himself has not been raised from the dead – he is a fraud, vs. 12-13;
2) Preaching the gospel is vanity, empty – we are liars, vs. 14a.;
3) Faith is misguided/misdirected – we are peddlers of a false worldview, vs. 14b.;
4) We are misrepresenting God – we are using false advertizing, vs. 15;
5) Faith is futile or vain – faith in a liar is no faith at all, vs. 17a.;
6) Sinners are still in our sins – we are unsaved, unredeemed, vs. 17b.;
7) Those who died believing the gospel have perished – death is it, vs. 18;
8) Believers are to be pitied – we are fools for having believed a lie, vs. 19;
If Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, and all the indicators evidence this truth, then:
1) Jesus himself has been raised from the dead, vs. 20;
2) Preaching has meaning because we herald God’s truth (Rom. 10:14-21);
3) Faith is rightly and savingly directed toward the resurrected Christ who gives life (Eph. 2:8-10);
4) We rightly represent God in our ministries;
5) Faith is fulfilled in the gospel;
6) Sinners are no longer in their sins (Titus 3:1-11);
7) Those who have died have not perished but are present with the Lord;
8) We do not have to be pitied – God has made us wise in Christ.
I cannot imagine a gospel without the twin truths of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without these complimentary and essential truths there is no gospel. What is there for us to say if these truths are not true? It was this gospel that instilled great confidence and power in those early disciples who continually gave witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:33). It was the truth that put Paul on trial (Acts 23:6). The gospel is the power that makes new life possible in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3).
It is this gospel that empowers the oppressed church, undergirds believers in missionally closed countries, and that warrants hope in the face of cancer, courage in the face of trouble, and confidence in the face of death.
Preacher, this will preach! This is the message of gospel. God died for sinners. This dead God lives again! Sin, death, and hell have been vanquished. The last enemy of life has been murdered. In the murder of Jesus and his subsequent resurrection we see the murder of death. Death was lured to the cross and was crucified in the crucifixion of Jesus (Col. 2:13-15). A price was paid, a debt was resolved, and a holy God was satisfied and pleased. We can join with that great Puritan divine, John Owen, in celebrating the death of death in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Heb. 2:14-18). Preacher, this will preach!
How We Preach Resurrection
All of this doctrinal content is great, but how do you preach such a weighty doctrine to often doctrinally neutral audiences? Let me offer three concepts around which you can wrap various ways to look at the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Preach Resurrection as an Invasion of Epoch Proportion
We preach resurrection as invasion. We live in hyper-religious, spiritual times. People are less committed to institutional religious expressions, while at the same time demonstrating a commitment to a search for that which is spiritual and eternal. Spirituality is not decreasing, but is increasing as people explore more and more the spiritual dimensions of human existence. Popular movies like ‘Paranormal Activity’ and ‘The Fourth Kind’ elicit great interest as many ask questions of what is ‘out there?’ and ‘is there another dimension?’ The rediscovery of the mystery of the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection is part of the reason Dan Brown’s works, though entertainingly misguided, elicit so much interest. Such questions inform the on-going questions of ‘what’s out there’ as we search our own souls for meaning and purpose.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the culminating event of an invasion of epoch proportion of what is ‘out there’ to what is ‘right here.’ This invasion is described in the word ‘Immanuel’, is defined in the word crucifixion, and is comprehended in the word resurrection. Preaching the death, burial, and resurrection in this way calls us to reconsider the life of Jesus as more than a historical fact and more as the incarnation of the unthinkable and unimaginable – God himself.
I am afraid that we have undervalued the magnificence of this invasion. It is the invasion of God into time and space in the person of Jesus Christ that continues to rock the nations and the souls of men and women. This is why Jesus still makes front page news today. As communicators of the gospel we must never underestimate the awkward, but enticing dissonance of the truth that God has come, God has died, and God has been raised from the dead!
Preach Resurrection as a Miracle of Monumental Meaning
We preach resurrection as miracle and meaning. What does the resurrection mean? And how do you preach what it means? Is the resurrection simply a theological term that defines a doctrinal concept in an academic enterprise? The answer is Yes! But it is more. A theological concept does not save the sinner. A God who sacrificed himself in death, was buried, and then raised from the dead saves sinners.
This is absolute miracle. No one does this. No one dies and then lives again. Not even God is supposed to do this because God is not supposed to die. But the astounding miracle taking place in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is that God submits himself to that which is totally foreign to himself – death. The Father sent, the Son went; the Father offered his Son, the Son offered himself; the Father directed, the Son died; the Father called him forth; Jesus was raised from the dead; death died in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This miracle enables us to preach true meaning. If the resurrection is true, then it changes everything, including how we define ourselves. Meaning is often found in defining who we are over against the challenges of life, especially our finitude. But what if something or someone has come that has eliminated every possible foe that would stand in the way of our search for meaning, including death? And what if that very event is the meaning, our meaning? And what if God means for us to live, really live? And what if this life is meant to be a life set free from sin, fear, and anxiety? Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he said in John 10:10, “I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.”
The resurrection gives us a new reference point of definition. Rather than being defined by our birth date, death date, marriage date, family origins, or monetary worth, we are now defined by an event that unveils life, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and purpose. Isn’t this what the Apostle Paul meant in Philippians 3:10 where he defined his entire life-purpose to “…know him (Jesus Christ) and the power of his resurrection?” This singular meaning was what liberated Paul to do all that he did without fear of death or life.
Preach Resurrection as the Power of Temporal and Eternal Significance
We preach resurrection as power. Resurrection preaching is significant for the here and now and the there and then. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential for the here and now. That is, the gospel we preach enables and empowers people to live without fear and a sense of fatalism. If God has conquered sin and death in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ then what or whom should we fear?
It is this great confidence in the gospel that empowers people in the oppressed church in China to live with courage; it is the power of a resurrected life that elicits boldness in the face of incredible odds; it is the power of the resurrection that enables people to face cancer with courage because death has been defeated, family troubles with tenacity because we have an enabling relationship with God and, life-crisis with patience.
Maybe the people in our churches are so cowardly when it comes to real Christian living because they haven’t yet grasped the awesome truth that there is nothing to fear. In other words, our significance is not measured on Main Street or by Wall Street, but by the God who rules all streets through the life-giving, death-conquering power of Jesus Christ.
Such meaning was how a 22 year old Wheaton college student by the name of Jim Elliott was inspired to pen such majestic words like, ‘He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’ Or, what enabled Elliott to write, ‘Let me not be a mile-post on a single road, but make me a fork men must turn one way or another in facing Christ in me.” It is what empowered Elliott’s death to confirm with Paul and thousands of saints who have believed throughout the centuries – to live is Christ, to die is gain!
How do you preach the resurrection of Jesus Christ? We must say it plain, in Spiritual power, with passion, for the sake of sinners and the nations yet to know the meaning of life. Preaching is, and must continue to be, the description of the invasion event of an absolute miracle that defines who and what we are in the ‘here and now’ and the ‘there and then.’
We leave this massive truth out of our preaching at the peril of telling only half the story, a half truth in an incomplete story that is impotent to save sinners. We must preach Jesus’ atoning death and victorious resurrection. It’s not an either/or proposition, it’s a both/and proclamation.
What We Preach as Resurrection
The resurrection must have been on the minds of the Corinthian believers as they questioned the Apostle Paul about the comprehensive nature, redemptive scope, and historical particulars of the resurrection. Had the resurrection of the dead already occurred? Had Jesus really been raised from the dead? Was resurrection even possible? And did any of this matter to the gospel they had believed?
Believe it or not, these questions remain pertinent today, even in our modern, post-modern, post-Christian, pre-Christian day (you take your pick at to the times we live in). Questions about the resurrection matter because the resurrection matters to the gospel we preach. If the gospel we preach is simply about how to have a better life, a better marriage, or success in business then the resurrection is unnecessary. In fact, if the gospel is just another self-help method then away with a dying God and a living Lord.
There are plenty of good books, websites, and magazines to help in all of these categories. Sadly, too many preachers have distilled the gospel in a minimalistic fashion that views the gospel as a ‘tack on’ to a life in search of success and fulfillment, i.e. “Let’s see, I have my pretty wife, my smart kids, my green car, and my house in the burbs. I care about the poor, global warning, healthcare for all, and being a good neighbor. I better add on this God thing to cover all my bases.” This is the plastic gospel of our era, which is no gospel at all.
If we are interested in actual success and not just perceived success, if we are interested in essential change and not topical change, and if we are interested in life-changing change then the resurrection is essential. If the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is true, and it is, then it supersedes all other claims – it makes all the difference because it is the difference between life and death.
The Apostle Paul’s answer to the Corinthian believers is amazingly comprehensive. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Paul outlines the basic contours of the importance of the gospel. The gospel is the life-changing truth 1) we receive and believe in salvation, vs. 1a.; 2) it is where we stake our claim and take our stand as believers, vs. 1b.; 3) it is what saves the sinner, vs. 2a.; 4) and, it is what we preach to the nations, vs. 2b. Preacher, this will preach!
But the gospel is more than just a truth with contours but no specific content. It’s more than just a nice story. Preacher, do you understand what you are claiming? We are claiming that a dead man died, but rose again and that this matters to our death and life. Amazing! Preposterous! Lunacy! The gospel is historical truth wrapped in a redemptive narrative that is breathtaking, mind-blowing, and God-revealing. Paul continues unfolding the content of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3-11. The gospel is:
1) that Jesus died an un-accidental death because it was predicted in history and in the Scriptures; and not just a simple, martyr death, but a vicarious, substitute death ‘on behalf of’ or ‘in the stead of’ sinners; though perfect, Jesus died in the place of sinners, satisfying the justice of God so that the awakened, repentant sinner might be given a righteousness not his own (see Rom. 3:21-26), vs. 3;
2) that Jesus was buried in a borrowed grave – used with the intent of giving it back, (see Mk. 15:42-47);
3) that Jesus was raised from the dead not as a divine afterthought but according to God the Father’s sovereign plan unfolded in history and Scripture, vs. 4;
4) and that this physically, corporeally raised Jesus did not hide himself after his resurrection, but appeared to numerous people in various settings at differing times, vs. 5-11. Preacher, this will preach!
But what does all this mean? And why is it so important? The Apostle Paul continues unpacking the importance of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 by first looking at what happens if the resurrection is not true, and then looking at the resurrection, by implication, positively by what happens because the resurrection is true. If Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead:
1) Jesus Christ himself has not been raised from the dead – he is a fraud, vs. 12-13;
2) Preaching the gospel is vanity, empty – we are liars, vs. 14a.;
3) Faith is misguided/misdirected – we are peddlers of a false worldview, vs. 14b.;
4) We are misrepresenting God – we are using false advertizing, vs. 15;
5) Faith is futile or vain – faith in a liar is no faith at all, vs. 17a.;
6) Sinners are still in our sins – we are unsaved, unredeemed, vs. 17b.;
7) Those who died believing the gospel have perished – death is it, vs. 18;
8) Believers are to be pitied – we are fools for having believed a lie, vs. 19;
If Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, and all the indicators evidence this truth, then:
1) Jesus himself has been raised from the dead, vs. 20;
2) Preaching has meaning because we herald God’s truth (Rom. 10:14-21);
3) Faith is rightly and savingly directed toward the resurrected Christ who gives life (Eph. 2:8-10);
4) We rightly represent God in our ministries;
5) Faith is fulfilled in the gospel;
6) Sinners are no longer in their sins (Titus 3:1-11);
7) Those who have died have not perished but are present with the Lord;
8) We do not have to be pitied – God has made us wise in Christ.
I cannot imagine a gospel without the twin truths of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without these complimentary and essential truths there is no gospel. What is there for us to say if these truths are not true? It was this gospel that instilled great confidence and power in those early disciples who continually gave witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:33). It was the truth that put Paul on trial (Acts 23:6). The gospel is the power that makes new life possible in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3).
It is this gospel that empowers the oppressed church, undergirds believers in missionally closed countries, and that warrants hope in the face of cancer, courage in the face of trouble, and confidence in the face of death.
Preacher, this will preach! This is the message of gospel. God died for sinners. This dead God lives again! Sin, death, and hell have been vanquished. The last enemy of life has been murdered. In the murder of Jesus and his subsequent resurrection we see the murder of death. Death was lured to the cross and was crucified in the crucifixion of Jesus (Col. 2:13-15). A price was paid, a debt was resolved, and a holy God was satisfied and pleased. We can join with that great Puritan divine, John Owen, in celebrating the death of death in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Heb. 2:14-18). Preacher, this will preach!
How We Preach Resurrection
All of this doctrinal content is great, but how do you preach such a weighty doctrine to often doctrinally neutral audiences? Let me offer three concepts around which you can wrap various ways to look at the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Preach Resurrection as an Invasion of Epoch Proportion
We preach resurrection as invasion. We live in hyper-religious, spiritual times. People are less committed to institutional religious expressions, while at the same time demonstrating a commitment to a search for that which is spiritual and eternal. Spirituality is not decreasing, but is increasing as people explore more and more the spiritual dimensions of human existence. Popular movies like ‘Paranormal Activity’ and ‘The Fourth Kind’ elicit great interest as many ask questions of what is ‘out there?’ and ‘is there another dimension?’ The rediscovery of the mystery of the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection is part of the reason Dan Brown’s works, though entertainingly misguided, elicit so much interest. Such questions inform the on-going questions of ‘what’s out there’ as we search our own souls for meaning and purpose.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the culminating event of an invasion of epoch proportion of what is ‘out there’ to what is ‘right here.’ This invasion is described in the word ‘Immanuel’, is defined in the word crucifixion, and is comprehended in the word resurrection. Preaching the death, burial, and resurrection in this way calls us to reconsider the life of Jesus as more than a historical fact and more as the incarnation of the unthinkable and unimaginable – God himself.
I am afraid that we have undervalued the magnificence of this invasion. It is the invasion of God into time and space in the person of Jesus Christ that continues to rock the nations and the souls of men and women. This is why Jesus still makes front page news today. As communicators of the gospel we must never underestimate the awkward, but enticing dissonance of the truth that God has come, God has died, and God has been raised from the dead!
Preach Resurrection as a Miracle of Monumental Meaning
We preach resurrection as miracle and meaning. What does the resurrection mean? And how do you preach what it means? Is the resurrection simply a theological term that defines a doctrinal concept in an academic enterprise? The answer is Yes! But it is more. A theological concept does not save the sinner. A God who sacrificed himself in death, was buried, and then raised from the dead saves sinners.
This is absolute miracle. No one does this. No one dies and then lives again. Not even God is supposed to do this because God is not supposed to die. But the astounding miracle taking place in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is that God submits himself to that which is totally foreign to himself – death. The Father sent, the Son went; the Father offered his Son, the Son offered himself; the Father directed, the Son died; the Father called him forth; Jesus was raised from the dead; death died in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This miracle enables us to preach true meaning. If the resurrection is true, then it changes everything, including how we define ourselves. Meaning is often found in defining who we are over against the challenges of life, especially our finitude. But what if something or someone has come that has eliminated every possible foe that would stand in the way of our search for meaning, including death? And what if that very event is the meaning, our meaning? And what if God means for us to live, really live? And what if this life is meant to be a life set free from sin, fear, and anxiety? Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he said in John 10:10, “I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.”
The resurrection gives us a new reference point of definition. Rather than being defined by our birth date, death date, marriage date, family origins, or monetary worth, we are now defined by an event that unveils life, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and purpose. Isn’t this what the Apostle Paul meant in Philippians 3:10 where he defined his entire life-purpose to “…know him (Jesus Christ) and the power of his resurrection?” This singular meaning was what liberated Paul to do all that he did without fear of death or life.
Preach Resurrection as the Power of Temporal and Eternal Significance
We preach resurrection as power. Resurrection preaching is significant for the here and now and the there and then. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential for the here and now. That is, the gospel we preach enables and empowers people to live without fear and a sense of fatalism. If God has conquered sin and death in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ then what or whom should we fear?
It is this great confidence in the gospel that empowers people in the oppressed church in China to live with courage; it is the power of a resurrected life that elicits boldness in the face of incredible odds; it is the power of the resurrection that enables people to face cancer with courage because death has been defeated, family troubles with tenacity because we have an enabling relationship with God and, life-crisis with patience.
Maybe the people in our churches are so cowardly when it comes to real Christian living because they haven’t yet grasped the awesome truth that there is nothing to fear. In other words, our significance is not measured on Main Street or by Wall Street, but by the God who rules all streets through the life-giving, death-conquering power of Jesus Christ.
Such meaning was how a 22 year old Wheaton college student by the name of Jim Elliott was inspired to pen such majestic words like, ‘He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’ Or, what enabled Elliott to write, ‘Let me not be a mile-post on a single road, but make me a fork men must turn one way or another in facing Christ in me.” It is what empowered Elliott’s death to confirm with Paul and thousands of saints who have believed throughout the centuries – to live is Christ, to die is gain!
How do you preach the resurrection of Jesus Christ? We must say it plain, in Spiritual power, with passion, for the sake of sinners and the nations yet to know the meaning of life. Preaching is, and must continue to be, the description of the invasion event of an absolute miracle that defines who and what we are in the ‘here and now’ and the ‘there and then.’
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Death of Death in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Imagine with me D.C. without the White House, St, Louis without the Arch, Atlanta without the Varsity, New York without the Yankees, and L.A. without the Lakers and you begin to get a remote idea of what it means to have a gospel without the doctrine of the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is more than a historical fact; it’s the main motif and high water mark of the historical drama known as God’s redemptive story.
We leave this massive truth out of our preaching at the peril of telling only half the story, a half truth in an incomplete story that is impotent to save sinners. We must preach Jesus’ atoning death and victorious resurrection. It’s not an either/or proposition, it’s a both/and proclamation.
The resurrection must have been on the minds of the Corinthian believers as they questioned the Apostle Paul about the comprehensive nature, redemptive scope, and historical particulars of the resurrection. Had the resurrection of the dead already occurred? Had Jesus really been raised from the dead? Was resurrection even possible? And did any of this matter to the gospel they had believed?
Believe it or not, these questions remain pertinent today, even in our modern, post-modern, post-Christian, pre-Christian day (you take your pick at to the times we live in). Questions about the resurrection matter because the resurrection matters to the gospel we preach. If the gospel we preach is simply about how to have a better life, a better marriage, or success in business then the resurrection is unnecessary. In fact, if the gospel is just another self-help method then away with a dying God and a living Lord.
There are plenty of good books, websites, and magazines to help in all of these categories. Sadly, too many preachers have distilled the gospel in a minimalistic fashion that views the gospel as a ‘tack on’ to a life in search of success and fulfillment, i.e. “Let’s see, I have my pretty wife, my smart kids, my green car, and my house in the burbs. I care about the poor, global warning, healthcare for all, and being a good neighbor. I better add on this God thing to cover all my bases.” This is the plastic gospel of our era, which is no gospel at all.
If we are interested in actual success and not just perceived success, if we are interested in essential change and not topical change, and if we are interested in life-changing change then the resurrection is essential. If the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is true, and it is, then it supersedes all other claims – it makes all the difference because it is the difference between life and death.
The Apostle Paul’s answer to the Corinthian believers is amazingly comprehensive. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Paul outlines the basic contours of the importance of the gospel. The gospel is the life-changing truth 1) we receive and believe in salvation, vs. 1a.; 2) it is where we stake our claim and take our stand as believers, vs. 1b.; 3) it is what saves the sinner, vs. 2a.; 4) and, it is what we preach to the nations, vs. 2b. Preacher, this will preach!
But the gospel is more than just a truth with contours but no specific content. It’s more than just a nice story. Preacher, do you understand what you are claiming? We are claiming that a dead man died, but rose again and that this matters to our death and life. Amazing! Preposterous! Lunacy! The gospel is historical truth wrapped in a redemptive narrative that is breathtaking, mind-blowing, and God-revealing. Paul continues unfolding the content of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3-11. The gospel is:
1) that Jesus died an un-accidental death because it was predicted in history and in the Scriptures; and not just a simple, martyr death, but a vicarious, substitute death ‘on behalf of’ or ‘in the stead of’ sinners; though perfect, Jesus died in the place of sinners, satisfying the justice of God so that the awakened, repentant sinner might be given a righteousness not his own (see Rom. 3:21-26), vs. 3;
2) that Jesus was buried in a borrowed grave – used with the intent of giving it back, (see Mk. 15:42-47);
3) that Jesus was raised from the dead not as a divine afterthought but according to God the Father’s sovereign plan unfolded in history and Scripture, vs. 4;
4) and that this physically, corporeally raised Jesus did not hide himself after his resurrection, but appeared to numerous people in various settings at differing times, vs. 5-11. Preacher, this will preach!
But what does all this mean? And why is it so important? The Apostle Paul continues unpacking the importance of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 by first looking at what happens if the resurrection is not true, and then looking at the resurrection, by implication, positively by what happens because the resurrection is true. If Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead:
1) Jesus Christ himself has not been raised from the dead – he is a fraud, vs. 12-13;
2) Preaching the gospel is vanity, empty – we are liars, vs. 14a.;
3) Faith is misguided/misdirected – we are peddlers of a false worldview, vs. 14b.;
4) We are misrepresenting God – we are using false advertizing, vs. 15;
5) Faith is futile or vain – faith in a liar is no faith at all, vs. 17a.;
6) Sinners are still in our sins – we are unsaved, unredeemed, vs. 17b.;
7) Those who died believing the gospel have perished – death is it, vs. 18;
8) Believers are to be pitied – we are fools for having believed a lie, vs. 19;
If Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, and all the indicators evidence this truth, then:
1) Jesus himself has been raised from the dead, vs. 20;
2) Preaching has meaning because we herald God’s truth (Rom. 10:14-21);
3) Faith is rightly and savingly directed toward the resurrected Christ who gives life (Eph. 2:8-10);
4) We rightly represent God in our ministries;
5) Faith is fulfilled in the gospel;
6) Sinners are no longer in their sins (Titus 3:1-11);
7) Those who have died have not perished but are present with the Lord;
8) We do not have to be pitied – God has made us wise in Christ.
I cannot imagine a gospel without the twin truths of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without these complimentary and essential truths there is no gospel. What is there for us to say if these truths are not true? It was this gospel that instilled great confidence and power in those early disciples who continually gave witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:33). It was the truth that put Paul on trial (Acts 23:6). The gospel is the power that makes new life possible in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3).
It was this gospel that enabled Jim Elliot to say a crazy thing like, “He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” It is this gospel that empowers the oppressed church in China, undergirds believers in missionally closed countries, and that warrants hope in the face of cancer, courage in the face of trouble, and confidence in the face of death.
Preacher, this will preach! This is the message of gospel. God died for sinners. This dead God lives again! Sin, death, and hell have been vanquished. The last enemy of life has been murdered. In the murder of Jesus and his subsequent resurrection we see the murder of death. Death was lured to the cross and was crucified in the crucifixion of Jesus (Col. 2:13-15). A price was paid, a debt was resolved, and a holy God was satisfied and pleased. We can join with that great Puritan divine, John Owen, in celebrating the death of death in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Heb. 2:14-18). Preacher, this will preach!
We leave this massive truth out of our preaching at the peril of telling only half the story, a half truth in an incomplete story that is impotent to save sinners. We must preach Jesus’ atoning death and victorious resurrection. It’s not an either/or proposition, it’s a both/and proclamation.
The resurrection must have been on the minds of the Corinthian believers as they questioned the Apostle Paul about the comprehensive nature, redemptive scope, and historical particulars of the resurrection. Had the resurrection of the dead already occurred? Had Jesus really been raised from the dead? Was resurrection even possible? And did any of this matter to the gospel they had believed?
Believe it or not, these questions remain pertinent today, even in our modern, post-modern, post-Christian, pre-Christian day (you take your pick at to the times we live in). Questions about the resurrection matter because the resurrection matters to the gospel we preach. If the gospel we preach is simply about how to have a better life, a better marriage, or success in business then the resurrection is unnecessary. In fact, if the gospel is just another self-help method then away with a dying God and a living Lord.
There are plenty of good books, websites, and magazines to help in all of these categories. Sadly, too many preachers have distilled the gospel in a minimalistic fashion that views the gospel as a ‘tack on’ to a life in search of success and fulfillment, i.e. “Let’s see, I have my pretty wife, my smart kids, my green car, and my house in the burbs. I care about the poor, global warning, healthcare for all, and being a good neighbor. I better add on this God thing to cover all my bases.” This is the plastic gospel of our era, which is no gospel at all.
If we are interested in actual success and not just perceived success, if we are interested in essential change and not topical change, and if we are interested in life-changing change then the resurrection is essential. If the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is true, and it is, then it supersedes all other claims – it makes all the difference because it is the difference between life and death.
The Apostle Paul’s answer to the Corinthian believers is amazingly comprehensive. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Paul outlines the basic contours of the importance of the gospel. The gospel is the life-changing truth 1) we receive and believe in salvation, vs. 1a.; 2) it is where we stake our claim and take our stand as believers, vs. 1b.; 3) it is what saves the sinner, vs. 2a.; 4) and, it is what we preach to the nations, vs. 2b. Preacher, this will preach!
But the gospel is more than just a truth with contours but no specific content. It’s more than just a nice story. Preacher, do you understand what you are claiming? We are claiming that a dead man died, but rose again and that this matters to our death and life. Amazing! Preposterous! Lunacy! The gospel is historical truth wrapped in a redemptive narrative that is breathtaking, mind-blowing, and God-revealing. Paul continues unfolding the content of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3-11. The gospel is:
1) that Jesus died an un-accidental death because it was predicted in history and in the Scriptures; and not just a simple, martyr death, but a vicarious, substitute death ‘on behalf of’ or ‘in the stead of’ sinners; though perfect, Jesus died in the place of sinners, satisfying the justice of God so that the awakened, repentant sinner might be given a righteousness not his own (see Rom. 3:21-26), vs. 3;
2) that Jesus was buried in a borrowed grave – used with the intent of giving it back, (see Mk. 15:42-47);
3) that Jesus was raised from the dead not as a divine afterthought but according to God the Father’s sovereign plan unfolded in history and Scripture, vs. 4;
4) and that this physically, corporeally raised Jesus did not hide himself after his resurrection, but appeared to numerous people in various settings at differing times, vs. 5-11. Preacher, this will preach!
But what does all this mean? And why is it so important? The Apostle Paul continues unpacking the importance of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 by first looking at what happens if the resurrection is not true, and then looking at the resurrection, by implication, positively by what happens because the resurrection is true. If Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead:
1) Jesus Christ himself has not been raised from the dead – he is a fraud, vs. 12-13;
2) Preaching the gospel is vanity, empty – we are liars, vs. 14a.;
3) Faith is misguided/misdirected – we are peddlers of a false worldview, vs. 14b.;
4) We are misrepresenting God – we are using false advertizing, vs. 15;
5) Faith is futile or vain – faith in a liar is no faith at all, vs. 17a.;
6) Sinners are still in our sins – we are unsaved, unredeemed, vs. 17b.;
7) Those who died believing the gospel have perished – death is it, vs. 18;
8) Believers are to be pitied – we are fools for having believed a lie, vs. 19;
If Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, and all the indicators evidence this truth, then:
1) Jesus himself has been raised from the dead, vs. 20;
2) Preaching has meaning because we herald God’s truth (Rom. 10:14-21);
3) Faith is rightly and savingly directed toward the resurrected Christ who gives life (Eph. 2:8-10);
4) We rightly represent God in our ministries;
5) Faith is fulfilled in the gospel;
6) Sinners are no longer in their sins (Titus 3:1-11);
7) Those who have died have not perished but are present with the Lord;
8) We do not have to be pitied – God has made us wise in Christ.
I cannot imagine a gospel without the twin truths of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without these complimentary and essential truths there is no gospel. What is there for us to say if these truths are not true? It was this gospel that instilled great confidence and power in those early disciples who continually gave witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:33). It was the truth that put Paul on trial (Acts 23:6). The gospel is the power that makes new life possible in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3).
It was this gospel that enabled Jim Elliot to say a crazy thing like, “He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” It is this gospel that empowers the oppressed church in China, undergirds believers in missionally closed countries, and that warrants hope in the face of cancer, courage in the face of trouble, and confidence in the face of death.
Preacher, this will preach! This is the message of gospel. God died for sinners. This dead God lives again! Sin, death, and hell have been vanquished. The last enemy of life has been murdered. In the murder of Jesus and his subsequent resurrection we see the murder of death. Death was lured to the cross and was crucified in the crucifixion of Jesus (Col. 2:13-15). A price was paid, a debt was resolved, and a holy God was satisfied and pleased. We can join with that great Puritan divine, John Owen, in celebrating the death of death in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Heb. 2:14-18). Preacher, this will preach!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
I Don't Need a Cute Gospel
My sin is great - great sin that produces worry, anxiety, and fear in my soul, sin that deadens my spirit and alienates me from eternity. The last thing I need is a self-help gospel. I am helpless. I don’t need another three-step program. I don’t need a better me, I need a transformed me. I don’t need a better life, I need a new life.
Too often, the gospel is reduced down to a quaint, cute story about a phenomenal man (Jesus) who inspires us and examples for us a new way of living. This is partly true. In fact, Jesus was the most inspiring person to have ever walked this terrestial ball. But is Jesus just an inspiring example? Is an inspiring example the best God can do? I can find plenty of inspiring stories in sports or in the military. A good example may inspire me but it won’t save me or change me.
The gospel is more than inspiring; the gospel is regenerating (it makes me alive), transforming (it changes me), justifying (it declares me not guilty), and sanctifying (it begins a work in me that will one day be complete). A cute, quaint, self-help, three-step mish-mash of “me and God” just doesn’t cut it. I don’t need more of me in the process. That’s the problem. I need less of me. Correction! I need none of me because I am dead in my sin. I need to be made alive. This is the kind of gospel I need.
The gospel is the only kind of transforming, life-altering good news God gives us in Jesus Christ. God enacted the “great exchange” in Jesus Christ. He exchanged my unrighteousness for the righteousness of Jesus Christ. In other words, God imputed my sins to Jesus Christ ‘as if’ he had committed them so that he could impute to me Christ’s righteousness to me ‘as if’ I had never sinned. This exchange is realized in me when God awakens me from the deadness of my sin and makes me new in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:1). Once awakened in Jesus Christ I’m no longer on the run from God, fearing that I’ll be caught and exposed for the fraud that I am. In Christ I am forgiven. Who, then, should I fear?
So, away with the cute, the quaint, and the purely practical; in with the conquering, transforming, life-changing, fear-smashing, worldview altering gospel of Jesus Christ.
Too often, the gospel is reduced down to a quaint, cute story about a phenomenal man (Jesus) who inspires us and examples for us a new way of living. This is partly true. In fact, Jesus was the most inspiring person to have ever walked this terrestial ball. But is Jesus just an inspiring example? Is an inspiring example the best God can do? I can find plenty of inspiring stories in sports or in the military. A good example may inspire me but it won’t save me or change me.
The gospel is more than inspiring; the gospel is regenerating (it makes me alive), transforming (it changes me), justifying (it declares me not guilty), and sanctifying (it begins a work in me that will one day be complete). A cute, quaint, self-help, three-step mish-mash of “me and God” just doesn’t cut it. I don’t need more of me in the process. That’s the problem. I need less of me. Correction! I need none of me because I am dead in my sin. I need to be made alive. This is the kind of gospel I need.
The gospel is the only kind of transforming, life-altering good news God gives us in Jesus Christ. God enacted the “great exchange” in Jesus Christ. He exchanged my unrighteousness for the righteousness of Jesus Christ. In other words, God imputed my sins to Jesus Christ ‘as if’ he had committed them so that he could impute to me Christ’s righteousness to me ‘as if’ I had never sinned. This exchange is realized in me when God awakens me from the deadness of my sin and makes me new in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:1). Once awakened in Jesus Christ I’m no longer on the run from God, fearing that I’ll be caught and exposed for the fraud that I am. In Christ I am forgiven. Who, then, should I fear?
So, away with the cute, the quaint, and the purely practical; in with the conquering, transforming, life-changing, fear-smashing, worldview altering gospel of Jesus Christ.
Monday, October 26, 2009
It's Time for a Change
It’s time for a change, don’t you think? No, I’m not speaking of the false promises made by political leaders or pundits. Nor, am I speaking of the faddish change that comes with every cultural wind. Instead, I’m speaking of that of change of the soul and mind that makes us new and keeps us fresh. This is what the new birth is all about – giving new life and breath to something that was dead and lifeless (Jn. 3:3). In fact, God has promised us newness of life in Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 beautifully puts it this way – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” What a promise! What power.
So, what about you? Aren’t you ready for a change? What about a change of mind, an altering of your passions, behavior, and purposes? God commands us to continue to grow in Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). When we become stagnant we digress and do not reflect the grace of God in our living and thinking.
Beginning November 1st I am beginning a series entitled “Time for a Change.” It’s a series based upon one of the most exciting passages in Scripture, Colossians 3:1-17. We will look at how a change of mind can lead to a change in passions, behavior, and purpose. This new series is coinciding with the launch of our new website at Inglewood Baptist Church. Beginning November 1st you will be able to find us at http://www.inglewoodbc.com/ . You will find this interactive site helpful and informative. You can get downloadable sermon notes, ministry information, and eventually podcasts of every message. Join us in person and online. It’s time for a change.
So, what about you? Aren’t you ready for a change? What about a change of mind, an altering of your passions, behavior, and purposes? God commands us to continue to grow in Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). When we become stagnant we digress and do not reflect the grace of God in our living and thinking.
Beginning November 1st I am beginning a series entitled “Time for a Change.” It’s a series based upon one of the most exciting passages in Scripture, Colossians 3:1-17. We will look at how a change of mind can lead to a change in passions, behavior, and purpose. This new series is coinciding with the launch of our new website at Inglewood Baptist Church. Beginning November 1st you will be able to find us at http://www.inglewoodbc.com/ . You will find this interactive site helpful and informative. You can get downloadable sermon notes, ministry information, and eventually podcasts of every message. Join us in person and online. It’s time for a change.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Get Some Real Fear!
I’m in a very sarcastically bad mood today. And what’s the source of my dower attitude? Answer: we’re lacking some real fear. Let me explain. I hear so many people use the phrase, ‘I’m afraid of…?’ They then fill in the blank with some superficial fear such as – I’m afraid my outfit doesn’t match my shoes; I’m afraid I’ll be late for a latte with my equally shallow friend at the local ‘artsy’ coffee shop; I’m afraid I won’t be up-to-date on the latest music or TV show; I’m afraid they won’t think I’m hip/cool, etc. This litany of shallow fears reveals a shallow life. Shallow fears diminish legitimate fears.
This is what we’re afraid of? You’ve got to be kidding me? Are you joking? Get serious! Is our cowardice to be measured by whether or not we are brave enough to wear the right kind of clothes or have the right kind of look or on whether or not we’re current on the latest drivel in the media? If so, we’re in more trouble than first thought.
If we’re going to have fear let’s get some real fear! I mean some supersized fears for a supersized gospel. For example, let’s be afraid of not getting the ‘God thing’ right; let’s be afraid if we don’t get the parenting thing right; let’s be afraid of not getting the marriage thing right; let’s be afraid of not being committed to a set of important principles by which to live; let’s be afraid of being known as a person who is a ‘mile wide and an inch deep’ instead of a person of depth, commitment, and loyalty; let’s be afraid of having lived without purpose.
Shallow, silly fears do not constitute essential fears. Shallow, silly fears cover the real fears of life. The gospel of Jesus Christ is THE sin-crushing, fear-smashing power of God that alters our ego, rearranges our priorities, and changes our world-view. So, if you’re going to have fear get some real fear so that you’ll understand the awesome power of God in Jesus Christ.
This is what we’re afraid of? You’ve got to be kidding me? Are you joking? Get serious! Is our cowardice to be measured by whether or not we are brave enough to wear the right kind of clothes or have the right kind of look or on whether or not we’re current on the latest drivel in the media? If so, we’re in more trouble than first thought.
If we’re going to have fear let’s get some real fear! I mean some supersized fears for a supersized gospel. For example, let’s be afraid of not getting the ‘God thing’ right; let’s be afraid if we don’t get the parenting thing right; let’s be afraid of not getting the marriage thing right; let’s be afraid of not being committed to a set of important principles by which to live; let’s be afraid of being known as a person who is a ‘mile wide and an inch deep’ instead of a person of depth, commitment, and loyalty; let’s be afraid of having lived without purpose.
Shallow, silly fears do not constitute essential fears. Shallow, silly fears cover the real fears of life. The gospel of Jesus Christ is THE sin-crushing, fear-smashing power of God that alters our ego, rearranges our priorities, and changes our world-view. So, if you’re going to have fear get some real fear so that you’ll understand the awesome power of God in Jesus Christ.
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