Showing posts with label Ephesians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ephesians. Show all posts

If Jesus is the WAY, what about those who've never heard of him?

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 9:30 AM

My sermon message on January 27, 2012, is entitled, "Jesus Is The Way." In it, I try to show that all religions are not essentially the same. In fact, it's not only unfair to say that about Christianity, but it's unfair to say that about other religions, too.

I have reached the conclusion, as I share in my message, that Jesus really is the only way to God, as Jesus himself claimed in John 14:6. I know for some folks this sounds narrow-minded and arrogant, but I don't say this with arrogance but, instead, great humility. If you're interested in hearing my message and how I reached this conclusion (based, in part, on some material by author Less Strobel), click on the message title above to hear a podcast of the message from Gateway's website. 

I did raise one issue in my message that I didn't have the time to address in the sermon - What about those who live in isolated places, who have never had a chance to hear about Jesus? What's going to happen to them? Is the door to heaven closed to them? 

This is a challenging issue to face, and it certainly drives Christianity's focus on world missions and translating God's Word, the Bible, into every known language. My question becomes a non-issue if a person has had an opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ because Christ followers have intentionally sought every tribe and culture and people out. But even as I write this, there are still some on our planet who have not had that privilege. So, how do we face this?

Frankly, God hasn’t told us all we’d like to know about this. Yet, we do know a few things.

1. The Bible tells us that everybody has a moral standard written on their hearts by God, and that everybody is guilty of violating that standard.
Romans 1:19 (NLT): “For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts.”

That’s why virtually every culture in every time and place has had many similar laws and rules—killing another person is always wrong. That’s why our conscience bothers us when we do something wrong.

2. The Bible tells us that everybody has enough information from observing the world to discern that God exists, but people have suppressed that and rejected God anyway — for which we rightfully deserve eternal separation from Him.
Romans 1:20 (NLT2): “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

If you’ve ever been in the mountains or some other beautiful spot on earth, or watched an incredible sunset, you’ve probably said what millions of others have said—there must be a God!

3. We also know that those who sincerely seek God will find Him.
Jesus: “…seek and you will find…” (Matthew 7:7 NIV)

In fact, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is seeking us first, making it possible for us to seek God. And this says to me that people around the world who respond to the understanding that they have and who earnestly seek after the one true God, revealed to them through God's creation, will find an opportunity, in some way, to receive the eternal life that God has graciously provided through Jesus Christ.

4. There’s something else that’s reassuring, too: God is completely fair and just.
Genesis 18:25 (NIV) asks, “…Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

It’s comforting for me to know that each person will be judged uniquely and justly, according to what they know and what they do with that. After being judged by a righteous God who deeply loves every person on this planet and always desires the best for them, no one will be able to walk away claiming that he or she had been treated unjustly.

We know that apart from the payment that Jesus made on the cross, nobody has a chance of getting off Death Row. But exactly how much detailed knowledge a person has to know about Jesus or precisely where the lines are drawn for those who have never heard of him, only God knows.
1 Corinthians 4:5 (TEV): “So you should not pass judgment on anyone before the right time comes. Final judgment must wait until the Lord comes; he will bring to light the dark secrets and expose the hidden purposes of people’s minds. And then all will receive from God the praise they deserve.”

5. And, finally, nobody will be excluded from heaven solely because he or she has lacked some information.

The reason people will be denied admittance is because they have told God that they can live just fine without Him, whether by intentionally admitting this or choosing to remain ignorant of Him. On Judgment Day, God will say, “Based on your own decision to live apart from Me, you will now spend eternity apart from Me.”

God won’t violate our free will—He won’t force us to follow Him. But, the Good News is that through Jesus Christ, God has offered to each one of us the gift of love and forgiveness. 

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT2): "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. "

Let God in, and let Him work through you to transform our world and help every single individual on our planet know Jesus Christ!

The Death of bin Laden

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 7:26 PM

Sunday evening I sat in front of the television and listened as President Obama announced the death of al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. I felt some joy about that, and relief that he was no longer a threat. We have individuals in our church who lost friends, co-workers and loved ones because of the 9/11 tragedy. I personally visited last year the "Ground Zero" site in New York City, and I visited in 2004 the site in Pennsylvania where the fourth airliner crashed. I have great admiration for the men and women who serve in our armed forces and the job they have done protecting our nation, and I am grateful for our special operations teams and the secret work they do. I certainly believe in the active presence of evil in our world today, and the actions of 9/11 can only be described in those terms, as far as I am concerned. And I believe bin Laden was clearly an instrument of evil.


I'm not sad that bid Laden is dead, but at the same time I can't say I feel "happy" either. I know this sounds weird, and I don't have it fully worked out, but stay with me. I feel relief, and I'm breathing a little easier because of his death. I've certainly watched television shows and movies where the "bad" guy is killed, and I walked away feeling he (or she) got what they deserved. In fact, the movie would have been a disappointment if that had not happened. But this isn't a movie - this is real life! This isn't about entertainment but about flesh and blood human beings.


From the Bible it is clear to me that God created governments and they serve several purposes. Among those, governments are given the responsibility by God to bring about justice. "...The authorities are established by God ... to punish those who do wrong." (Romans 13:4 NLT) The government's responsibility to maintain order and provide for the common good enables you and me to freely live out our faith. This isn't a naive belief that governments can do whatever they want. No government rules perfectly, and there are times when some governments fail and need to be replaced. But, the Bible shows us that governments do have a God-given responsibility to bring about justice and punish those who do wrong.


I certainly believe that's what has happened here. Our government has used its God-given responsibility to bring about justice and punish one who has clearly done much that was wrong. And in acting, it is likely that our government has also prevented future loss of innocent life. 


What has disturbed me over the years is when foreign nationals celebrate the death of Americans by terrorists. But, just because they act this way doesn't mean I have to. I don't think I can do that, at least not right now. As I said above, I can be relieved, and I can be grateful to our special forces team, but I cannot, in good conscience, celebrate the death of any human life - even if it is justified. 


I have this image of a baby being born into this world, and a mother and father who are so excited. Yet somewhere along the way, young Osama took some wrong turns. Instead of being a productive citizen and faithful son, somewhere along the way he became an instrument of sin and evil. So, I do not celebrate but instead feel sadness. Sadness that a life born full of promise ended so tragically. Sadness that sin and evil had gotten such a grip on an individual or organization to lead them to commit acts of evil. Sadness that hate could be so strong in our world today. Sadness that innocent lives have been damaged and destroyed by these acts of violence. Sadness that, somewhere along the way, they did not hear - at least not enough to act upon - the Good News of redemption in and through Jesus Christ. 


I am grateful that our government has chosen not to release photos of bin Laden. I don't want my ten-year-old son to accidentally see that picture and have it scorched into his memory. I don't want to take away his innocence just yet. I don't want him to live in fear or see terrorists around every corner. If I could make a wish for him, it would be that there would be no more wars and terrorism by the time he is a young adult. I realize that the only way that will happen is if Jesus returns, for he warned that prior to his coming there would be wars and threats of war. We really are living in the end times, though Jesus may not return in my lifetime or yours (and I'm not here to try to predict that time, either). 


So, we are stuck in the "in-between" times - after Jesus has defeated sin and death and allowed me to join his side, but before the victory is complete here on earth. We live in a world racked with sin, and ultimately no government or philosophy can fix that. We will not "progress" enough or "evolve" enough to get past these things. We are battling sin and evil - our battle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). But we are not alone - we can choose to be on the side of Jesus, who has already sealed the victory for us.


Because of Jesus' victory, I have hope ... but it's not so much in military victories or even peace treaties (as much as I am grateful for those). My hope is in Jesus Christ, who will one day return and bring his own safely home; who will judge the sheep and the goats, and cast some into outer darkness not only for their evil deeds, but even for their ambivalence to evil and to Jesus himself. Who will judge the Osama bin Ladens and Hitlers. I have hope because there will be justice, even when I do not see it in this life. And quite honestly, this past weekend, I sure would not have wanted to be bin Laden when he met his Maker. But because of my faith in Jesus Christ, I do look forward to meeting my Maker - and no event in this life can take that hope and that joy and that peace away from me!

A Culture Shift

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 3:47 PM

On Wednesday night, April 13, I shared with our church family a sense that God is calling us as Gateway Community Church to a culture shift. I said this, and I continue to talk about this, not because of a momentary experience in my life, but what feels more and more like a tidal wave of leadings from God.


The essence of this culture shift is that the mission and the ministry of our church are not the responsibility of the institutional church but of the living, breathing organism of the church made up of the individual members of the body of Christ who attend Gateway. In other words, each one of us is called by God to live as "fully devoted followers of Christ." The mission belongs not so much to the church as a whole, but to the church as in each member of the body. The effectiveness of the church is most obvious when each one in the church family owns and lives the mission, rather than when the mission gets bumped up the line to the overall church body or institution.


I'll admit that I'm still working on the words and language to express just what I sense God saying in all this. I've been talking it out with staff and in Grow Gatherings on Sunday evenings. I've been thinking about it and reflecting on it, and actually preaching on it more than I realized. I see it already happening in the accountability and encouragement that occurs in Celebrate Recovery, as individuals take on responsibility for other individuals and come alongside them. I see it already happening in our Marriage Mentoring ministry, where one couple comes alongside another couple to help and encourage them in their journey. I see it as we've been talking lately about how to help grow and encourage brand-new followers of Christ, who need someone to come alongside them and show them the way. I see it already happening as we talk about investing more into the parents of our children and teens, so parents feel empowered to accept their God-given responsibility to teach and encourage their own kids about Jesus Christ, with the church serving in a helping role.


I've been sensing it in a scripture that has really jumped out at me in the last few weeks:


Jesus: “‘For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.’” (Matthew 18:20 NLT2)

I've always wondered about this scripture. Why "two or three"? Why not five or six, or a hundred to a hundred fifty? Then, a few weeks ago it struck me - it's in settings of two or three that our relationships are most exposed and open, where vulnerability as well as accountability are most possible and most likely. It's the essence of relationship, and much of our spiritual growth comes in our interaction with another. In the New Testament the phrase "one another" is found nearly sixty times: "accept one another," "be devoted to one another," "greet one another," "serve one another," "instruct one another," "honor one another," "encourage one another," "do not slander one another," and especially "love one another."

There's a sense of Christianity and love being personal - not something that can be done through an institution nearly as well as through one individual to another. We are called to come alongside one another to help, encourage, hold accountable and love one another. And it's in these small settings of two or three or four, where it's impossible to hide from each other or wait for someone else to answer or explain, where we become known deep down, behind the walls.

Yet, too often in my ministry "career" I've rationalized that working mainly with large groups is efficient and a better use of my time. I thought I could reach more people faster, better. But in fact, what I think I've been doing is at the very least fooling myself. It definitely takes more work and we experience more pain when we get up close and personal with someone, yet it's only there that I see behind the curtain of who that person really is, who I am, and who God really is and what He desires in our lives - where two or three of us are gathered.

This is why I believe we need a culture shift. We need to move away from thinking about how others will do ministry and instead ask God what do you want me to do? What person do you want me to come alongside? How do you want me to love another? Words and phrases that have been coming to me lately include "accountability;" "360ยบ mentoring," where as we mentor another, we are at the same time being mentored by someone else; "sacrificial love is normal for the Christ follower;" "every ONE matters to God;" and "personal responsibility for my own spiritual growth." 

And I really don't see this as a program of our church so much as a part of our essence, our culture. We don't plan it and orchestrate it - we empower it and release it. The church then fulfills it's God given purpose "...to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:12)

I've got a lot more praying and thinking to do on this, but I don't plan to wait until it's all clear, either. I'm diving in, wanting to go deeper into the love of God. I hope you will, too. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, too. This is definitely a work in progress, but I really feel God's presence in the midst of this. And I believe seeking to live our lives this way will radically change our church, but more important than that, it will change our community and our world. It will take time, because relationships can't be rushed or pushed. But I believe God has been planting seeds all around our church, and over the next two to three years I expect to see a real culture shift. The church will be the church, and God will be glorified!

St. Nicholas, Gifts and Christmas

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 6:16 AM

In the Centuries following Jesus’ death Christianity was outlawed in the Roman Empire.

Late in the third century a man named Nicholas was born, who went on to become at a very young age the Bishop of Myra, while Christianity was still outlawed. This Bishop of Myra, Nicholas, later was recognized as a saint and called Saint Nicholas. He was known for his generosity to people in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

One of the most famous stories about Nicholas demonstrates his great love for children. The story says a poor man had three daughters. He was too poor to offer a dowry, which likely meant the girls would never marry and would probably be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home, providing the needed dowries.

It is said Nicholas tossed the dowry through an open window or down the chimney and landed in stockings left by the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings to eagerly await a gift from St. Nicholas.

Through this story and many more, Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, and later, St. Nicholas, became known as a very generous, loving person, especially known as a gift-giver who had special concern for children, especially those who had little.

Within a few hundred years the story of St. Nicholas merged with the Christmas story, and it became common to give simple and needed gifts at Christmas, especially to children.

Genuine gift-giving should never be out of compulsion or to see what we get in return. Giving gifts is a way of expressing love and gratitude. Giving gifts at Christmas isn’t simply about what we get, but reminds us of what God has already done for us in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT2): “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” 

Salvation is a gift from God – something we can’t earn or cause or bring about ourselves. It is a gift, given out of sheer undeserved grace that tells us so much about God. True gifts are always like that – they tell us more about the giver than the one who receives it. As St. Nicholas gave to needy children, it said everything about his true character and concerns.

Yet, God doesn’t give us a gift just to sit around and admire – He gives us this gift of grace in Jesus Christ to transform our lives, so that He can use us to transform the lives of others.

God’s Christmas is about giving a gift that no one deserves, but He gives anyway, so that we, too, can give that same gift to others. And they don’t deserve it anymore than we do. Yet, when we fail to give this gift, we’ve missed the point of the gift in the first place. The gift is always given to encourage others to give.

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NLT2): “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’”

Membership Update - Exercising Stewardship (October)

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Monday, October 25, 2010 at 5:24 PM

This month I'm wrapping up my Membership Series for our Gateway members (and anyone else). I began this series in May, and each month I've added more to this series, explaining what we call our GUIDE. The GUIDE (part of our Membership Covenant) is a tool we use here at Gateway that not only describes what a "fully devoted follower of Christ" looks like, but also lists biblical practices and disciplines that help guide us in our spiritual journey.

This month I conclude by examining the "E" of GUIDE: Exercising Stewardship. I'm defining stewardship as the process of managing that which belongs to another. Modern-day examples in the business world include bankers and managers.

The biblical idea of stewardship is rooted in the belief that God created all there is, and it is all His. Because God is the Owner, He has rights, while we, the "renters" or "stewards" have responsibilities.
“‘You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.’” (Revelation 4:11 NLT2)
“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” (Psalm 24:1 NLT2)
The implications of this belief underlie much of how Christ followers are called to live their lives. It calls us to care for the earth, because it is God's, and we have been entrusted with the care of the planet and all that is on it. To that end, Gateway has begun recycling. Our church family has really helped us here as we've sought to learn what that means and looks like here.

Another implication of this belief is that our lives are gifts from God to be used for His purposes. Christ followers have been bought for a price - our lives are no longer ours but belong to God to be used for His purposes and His glory. We were created to love God and love our neighbors. We were created to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Quite simply, we were created to do good for God's sake and glory.
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT2)
But perhaps the most difficult implication for us to accept is how we use the resources we have. The Bible tells us that everything we have, all our resources and even our ability to produce those resources, belong to God. Yet, our sinful nature too often grabs these resources for ourselves as means of security and greed and idolatry. We may not do this consciously, but we do it none the less. 

“…What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?” (1 Corinthians 4:7 NLT2)
“If you start thinking to yourselves, ‘I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!’—well, think again. Remember that GOD, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth….” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18 Message)
Out of gratitude and obedience God calls us and invites us to exercise faithful stewardship of all He has entrusted to us. But perhaps even more importantly, God calls us to give back a portion of all we've received - the tithe, or 10% of our income - as a concrete statement of faith in God and His provision for our lives. God understands this is a challenge for us, so in this one instance He allows us to test Him.
“‘Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! ‘But you ask, “What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?” You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, ‘I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!’” (Malachi 3:8-10 NLT2)
For all these reasons, we believe it's important to exercise stewardship in our lives as testimonies of faith and faith-building tools. I encourage you to be good stewards of our earth by recycling. I encourage you to be good stewards of your life by using it to bless others and by serving. And I encourage you to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to you by tithing. And to help you do that, we've set up our 90-Day Challenge. The details about it are below if you'd like to take God at His Word and discover how trustworthy He really is.

As member of Gateway, stewardship is an important part of our spiritual journeys. I hope you will allow God to encourage you in this area. It has the potential to grow your faith like few disciplines do. Susan and I have tithed (and given above) for over 25 years. I've discovered time and time again God is faithful, and I've been blessed - not necessarily with more resources, but with the experience of knowing I can put my whole faith in God through Jesus Christ. Stewardship has been a great guide for my life!
The 90-Day Challenge
I would like to test God's faithfulness by accepting the 90-Day Tithe Challenge. I agree that for the 90-day period, my household will contribute to God, through Gateway Community Church, a tithe equal to 10% of our income. At the end of the 90-day period, if I am not convinced of God's faithfulness to bless my life as a result of my obedience to His Word, then I will be entitled to request a refund, up to the full amount of contributions made during that 90-day period.
To begin, I will mark my first tithe “90-Day Challenge” or contact Elsa Salinas: esalinas@gateway-community.org or (281) 286-1515. (Gateway must be told you are beginning this challenge for this refund offer to be in effect.)

Membership Update - Using My Gifts to Serve (July 2010)

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 12:01 AM

Two months ago I began a Membership Series for our Gateway members (and anyone else) that is intended to help us grow and become more and more like Jesus Christ. I'm using a tool that we at Gateway call the GUIDE (which is a part of our Membership Covenant). It's an acronym that both describes what a "fully devoted follower of Christ" looks like, and at the same time lists biblical disciplines and practices that God has given us to guide us in our spiritual journey. You can read more about the GUIDE in my May Update.


This month I turn to the "U" of GUIDE, which stands for: "Using My Spiritual Gifts to Serve." We understand this to mean that "I will seek opportunities to serve my church family utilizing my gifts, talents, and time."


The reason we serve begins with Jesus himself, who said: “‘For even the Son of Man (a title Jesus used for himself) came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” (Matthew 20:28 NLT2) Jesus came to serve, and those who follow him do likewise. Certainly, obedience is a big part of following Jesus. But we also follow (and serve) out of gratitude for all he's done for us, including especially his death on the cross. We live out the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) to love God and love our neighbors through serving. And the Bible teaches that if we claim to have faith but don't live it out in our daily lives, then our faith is "dead and useless." (James 2:17 NLT2) It's no faith at all.


But there's another very important reason we serve - it not only reflects that we are trying to live as Jesus lived, it also helps us actually become more and more like Jesus:



“Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, so that his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him.” (Ephesians 4:11-13 CEV; italics added)


The Bible says that in learning to serve, we will become "completely like him (Christ)." Serving grows us as it teaches us to put our faith into action. And again, faith means nothing if it's not lived out in our daily lives. Our lives bear this truth out:



  • In one study, when folks in a congregation were asked, “To what extent has your ministry or service to others affected your spiritual growth?”, 92% answered positively, and none responded that ministry had had a negative effect on their spiritual growth.
  • Over half (58%) of those who were not actively ministering to others felt either “not satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with their level of spiritual growth. 
  • And a recent study makes it clear that “serving is one of the most important expressions of being Christlike”.


We have a high expectation that members of Gateway will serve. It's not to keep our members busy or to handle things we can't get to. It's our calling as a church to lead us in obedience to Christ and help us become more and more like him. We were made for this! "God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds..." (Ephesians 2:10 TEV)

I wish I could tell you that everyone in our church family is so convinced of this that we have all the volunteers (or, a better word might be servants) we need, but that's not the case. There's not a Sunday that goes by when we don't need loving Christ followers serving in our children and student areas, serving on our Team Gateway (hospitality) or in our Arts Ministry (performing and technical). We also have a Great Day of Service coming up July 31st, and there are always other mission opportunities. 

Some of you reading this right now have been gifted by God to serve in some of these areas, but you aren't ... and there are folks missing out because you aren't doing your part! And those of us who are regularly serving have a responsibility to carry this value to others and encourage others to serve.

If you have a question about where to serve, contact any of our staff or a friend who is already serving, or just try something for a while and see if it clicks for you. The first area you try may not be the right fit for you, but stay with it and you will find the place you were created for, that fulfills you, that grows you, and that blesses others. And in the process, God will be working in you, transforming you, growing you!

Meeting People on Their Terms and Turf

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , | Posted On Friday, October 23, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Acts is an amazing and extremely relevant book for anyone seeking to follow Jesus Christ. Every chapter is jam-packed with information about how the early church dealt with issues that are just as real today.

For instance, in our reading today in Acts 17-18, we read of Paul's encounter with the Greek philosophers in Athens. These were men who sat around all day pondering the meaning of life and the universe. They were intrigued by Paul's message about a foreign god. These men were searching for answers and meaning in life, but they hadn't found it yet. Acts 17:21 says that everyone in Athens "...seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas."

That statement sounds so much like 21st Century America to me. While there are many Christians in our land, there are many others who are searching for answers in all the latest fads and philosophies. Maybe they were exposed to a strange form of Christianity, and assumed that was the norm for all of Christianity. Maybe they're just rebels and want to figure it out for themselves. I'm sure you can think of more reasons why some folks seem to be intent on trying the religion or spirituality du jour.

Not much has changed in 2000 years! So, Paul's approach to the Athenians may give us some insight into trying to reach folks today who still haven't made a decision to follow Jesus Christ. And the first thing Paul didn't do was antagonize or belittle the Athenians' beliefs. He took them seriously, rather than just dismissing them as wrong. He complemented them and affirmed them, knowing that God cared about these men as much as He cared about anyone else.

If becoming a Christian were about having all the right facts, then showing the Athenians how they were wrong might have made sense. But becoming a Christian is about developing a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It starts and ends with relationship, and that also gives us a great insight into how we share our faith with others - through relationships. We don't win friends and influence enemies by pounding them over the head with a Bible or telling them they're going to Hell because they don't believe in Jesus Christ. We influence people as we share the love of Christ with them, as we demonstrate we care about them. Jesus died for those far from him, just as he died for me and you. We're all saved by grace, through faith, so none of us can brag about how good we are or how much better we are than anyone else (Ephesians 2:8-9).

When we show love and respect to someone who believes differently than we do, who perhaps is caught up in the latest spiritual fad, we gain the privilege of being heard. As trust grows, we can go deeper and deeper in our conversations. As the relationship grows, we can share our own experiences and understandings of the Christian faith in honest, straightforward ways. We can have genuine conversations where the love of Christ works in us and through us. I've always heard that loving people into heaven is almost always more effective than scaring them out of hell. Jesus always had time for the sinners - what bugged him were the religious elites who thought they knew it all.

I've been a pastor for over twenty years now, but the more I know, the more I know I don't know. The longer I walk this journey the more the Holy Spirit tries to push that unholy pride out of me. I really am no better than the person far from God, but I am saved by the grace of God - and that makes all the difference in the world. Paul was no better than the Athenians, but he loved them through Jesus Christ, and he tried to meet them at their point of interest and need. Then he walked them along, with integrity and respect. Some laughed at him, "...but others said, 'We want to hear more about this later.'" (17:32) And Verse 34 says, "...some joined him and became believers."

Paul met the Athenians on their terms, on their turf, and some eventually chose to become followers of Jesus Christ. That model is just as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. Who do you know that needs the love of Christ in their life? How can you love that person and meet them at their point of interest and need? It may take months, even years, but I know that God honors all our efforts, and no relationship with a Christ follower by a person seeking the truth ever comes back void.


Standing Up for the Gift of Grace, by Faith

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Chapters 15 and 16 of Acts are filled with powerful stories, including the beginnings of Paul's second missionary journey, and there's no way I can do them all justice. So, I'm going to focus on the first Jerusalem council, found in Acts 15, because a very important decision was made here by the early church that has huge implications for us today.

In Acts 10-11, Peter had his first encounter with Gentiles, and discovered that when they placed their faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came to live in them, just as He was doing in Jews who were placing their faith in Christ. This event showed that God had much bigger plans than the salvation of a relatively small race - He was setting in motion the salvation of the world!

Now, in Acts 15, we read that some Jewish Christians were trying to force these new Gentile Christians to first become Jews through the rite of circumcision. There was an act they had to do to become a follower of Christ. But Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed with this teaching. So, the church in Antioch of Syria decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to consult with the apostles and elders of the church, at what has been called the first Jerusalem council.

There's more to this story, but it's interesting to note a pattern that begins here that would carry on for a few centuries in the early church. A controversy arises that threatens to split the church. Because there is no written Scripture, as we have today, or least none that was yet accepted as what we would call New Testament Scripture, how did the early church make decisions? By councils - gatherings of church leaders who prayerfully sought the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. And it's also interesting to note that these controversies - some of which would be labeled heresies - caused the church to get clear about what it believed and what it didn't. The doctrines of the church aren't heavy handed rules but are more like foul lines in baseball that help Christ followers know what's in bounds and what's out of bounds. Otherwise, well-meaning Christ followers can drift into all sorts of dangerous beliefs. Doctrines are important, and they were often settled or determined in response to a controversy or heresy, such as the one we see here in Acts 15.

Back to our story, when Paul and Barnabas arrive in Jerusalem, they discover the same controversy has been brewing there as well (15:5). "So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue." (15:6, NLT) After lots of discussion, Peter shared the conclusion they had reached:

"God knows people's hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus." (15:8-11)

This became the crucial distinction for the Christian faith, and yet a battle that continues to be fought today. How often do we find ourselves believing we have to follow certain rules, do certain actions, meet certain standards, in order to measure up and be saved? The Bible often calls these "works." How many people have said, "Let me clean up my act first, and then I'll commit my life to Christ." But what they're saying is actually this, "There are certain things (works) I must do first (such as circumcision in the First Century church), before I will be acceptable to God." But Peter called grace "undeserved." We don't deserve it; we can't earn it; we can't be good enough to gain it. We can only receive it, by faith, with gratitude.

This was a battle Paul would fight over and over again with Jewish Christians in many of his writings. He tried to spell it out very clearly in his letter to the Ephesians: "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." (2:8-9) We are not saved by works. We are saved by grace, through faith. This became, in fact, the rallying cry of the Protestant Reformation nearly five hundred years ago.

This decision by the first Jerusalem council would set the foundation for a Christian faith that would never be first and foremost about rules, works and meeting certain criteria, but about a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. We can't earn it, and we certainly don't deserve it. But, we can accept it gratefully, and then seek to serve Christ as an expression of our gratitude, rather than as a condition to earn our salvation.

This misunderstanding is still with us today in many circles, with many folks in our churches closer to the beliefs of the Jewish faith than the Christian faith. Which is why it is such Good News - no one has to measure up to receive this "undeserved" gift of grace - in fact, no one can measure up! We're all in the same boat, so none of us is in a position to brag or boast. We are all saved by grace, through faith!

Who is Your Cornerstone?

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , | Posted On Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 12:01 AM

In Luke 20 Jesus continues to teach and have encounters with the religious leaders. In vs. 17 Jesus asks his listeners, "…'Then what does this Scripture mean? "The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone."'" Jesus is quoting from Psalm 118:22. It's interesting that both the prophets Isaiah (28:16) and Zechariah (10:4) made references to this "cornerstone." In the New Testament Matthew (21:42) and Mark (12:10) both quote Jesus on this same saying. Luke again quotes it in Acts 4:11. The Apostles Paul (Ephesians 2:20) and especially Peter (1 Peter 2:4-7) reference this same "cornerstone".

So, if this Psalm is quoted by Jesus, Isaiah, Zechariah, Paul and Peter, among others, it must have been significant. So, we go back to Jesus' question - what does it mean?

Jesus is applying this Psalm to himself. He has just entered Jerusalem (on what we call Palm Sunday) and faces his last week on earth. He knows that on Friday he will be rejected by the religious leaders and the government and even the people. He knows he will hang on a cross and die. He understands that his rejection is only days ahead of him. Yet, in spite of this "rejection," he will become the cornerstone of life and faith.

The cornerstone was the first and most critical stone laid in building a structure, because everything else was built from it and on it. If the cornerstone was improperly placed, the whole structure would be in jeopardy. So, the cornerstone was crucial.

Jesus is quoting this scripture to tell his listeners that rejecting him doesn't change his importance and significance. God placed Jesus as the cornerstone of life and living, and apart from him, life will never be all it can be.

Many of the people in Jesus' time rejected him, and many still reject him. They fail to realize who he really is and why he is so important. Sometimes it's intentional, but often it's simply from neglect or laziness. Yet, the day will come when everyone will know who Jesus is. Paul wrote to the Philippians: "Therefore, God elevated him (Jesus) to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (2:9-11)

Jesus is Lord and Master, whether we realize it or acknowledge it. But those who fail to acknowledge him will find that they built their life on something that will never support life now and for eternity. This isn't what Jesus wants, nor is it what his church wants. So, am I building my life upon the cornerstone? Have I chosen a cornerstone that is sure and true and strong? And what about those around us? Our goal and mission is to lead everyday people to build their lives on this cornerstone, this rock, that will withstand all the floods of life and remain standing into eternity. With so much at stake, how can we do anything less?

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