Belief, the Glory of God and our Culture

I went on Thursday evening to see a friend preach at a revival (yes, a good old fashioned revival).  Actually, it was really refreshing to sing some old hymns and to see a real come down front invitation.  In a day and time when we are told "Modernism" is on the out and Postmodernism is in, I saw a Modernistic approach work.  It made me smile.  My friend preached out of John 11 and one of the verses that stood out and I want to express some thoughts on it today.  Deep into the heart of John 11 Jesus and Martha are talking in a graveyard.  Jesus wanted to take the stone away and Martha thought it was a bad idea as Lazarus would really stink.  Here is Martha's view of the situation - "Lord,  by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days" (11:39).  In other words, it is too late for anything to be done.  When we look at our culture, we see that it can really reek, and if we are not careful we can fall into the mindset where we see that it is too late for anything to be done about the death in our culture.  I hope that is not the way we see it, but when you smell the stench enough, we can see that there is no hope for a resurrection of Christ's power in our world.  

It is at this point that Jesus says something very interesting about belief and the glory of God and it is in these words where the hope for our culture lies.  We all want the power of God to come and move again in our land of the dying.  Here is what Jesus has to say about our culture, "Did I not tell you that if you believed  you would see the glory of God?" (11:40)  Look at those words again keeping in mind that Lazarus has been in the tomb 4 days.  If we believe that he is the Resurrection and the Life, then a faith in him that knows he can and will move in power - will see the glory of God through the working of his Power, not our plans and creativity.  Look at this again, what Jesus wanted them to see more than Lazarus alive again was the glory of God. Though we want to see "Our Lazarus" (culture) resurrected, what we really need to see is the glory of his greatness and it is through the working of his power, we cab and will see his glory.  

Do we believe the culture can be resurrected?  Making someone alive after 4 days is impossible, but not with God.  Seeing the culture awakened would bring the glory of God and we would see it, literally.  It is not to late for our culture because we are still called to believe, to have faith that he can do all things 

Could it be that  we have lost what it means to really believe in his power?  Have I lost my belief that he can bring life from that which is dead?  I hope not, but I want to live and do life with a group of people who do believe that Christ presence can call forth the dead to life.  Jesus, I beg you to call our "Lazarus" forth.  Only you can do this and we await you to call us forth.

The Look of the Church

What should be the focus when we come together in worship?  If the time spent corporately is not focused in the right place, then we may miss real opportunities for God encounters or life change.  It is the responsibility of the leadership to lead out in this Christ focused time.  The focus needs to be connected to movement as the Spirit moves.  Here are the Focuses:

1. Upward Look – We must focus people on the greatness and glory of Christ.  Nothing is more important.
2. Inward Look – We must examine ourselves against the truth.  Worship is also a journey inward where we surrender to Christ’s lordship.
3. Look Around – When we do this, we see that we are walking this life together with others.  Church is to be lived in community.
4. Forward Look – We must remind them that the church is going somewhere and that we have a vision for the body that moves forward.
5. Outward Look – Lastly, we exist as a body to seek the lost, and to serve and invest in the Community.  Not everyone believes in Jesus, therefore, we must go.

 

Visiting Churches

For the first time in our lives, we have the opportunity to visit churches of various sizes, flavors, and persuasions - so we are. We want over the next weeks to learn and experience what it is like to get up and try and find a church home so that we can understand how to greet, love, and welcome visitors to whatever church we eventually pastor. We also want to see what is effective and not effective in living church together. So far, so good. I may blog from time to time about our experience (yes, I am actually going to blog more consistently) for your reading enjoyment. Here is my first entry.

We visited a Disciples of Christ church last Sunday. Known for their liberalism Theologically, we were pleasantly surprised to find the experience to be based in scripture and for the most part - Sound. Hey, in the bible belt you can always be a bit surprised. It was a nice church and a good experience. It is always great to see a Pastor who loves his people.

My one thought from Sunday is this. Though the scripture was quoted and used, we were never asked to open the scripture with the Pastor as he spoke. My thought is this today: It is not enough to say hard things, truthful things, have right doctrine, etc. if we never help the people connect what we say with the scripture they hold in their hands. In an age where Biblical Illiteracy is growing, it is our job to bring the people along with us as they look at the truth for themselves. They need to look at it at the same time we are explaining it. The scripture holds the words of life.

The Experience of the Son and the Sun

I had a thought this week but have not had time to further think through until this morning.  The thought is this:  Our experience with the Son (of God) and the Sun (bright yellow thing) is much the same.  Let me illustrate.  When you are standing on the beach or the lake or by the pool, the Sun is a friend that feels so good as he shines in all his glory upon us.  It is enjoyable and welcomed.  Take the same Sun an hour later as you are mowing your grass or jogging on the streets or changing a flat tire at 3:30 in the afternoon on the side of the highway.  He is no longer enjoyable and can actually be hated.             

Let’s now look at the Son and all his glory.  When life is going well, we love his presence and bask in the enjoyment of his blessings.  Jesus is seen as a friend and we speak fondly of him.  Then, when trouble raises its head and our life of comfort is disturbed, he is no longer seen as friendly as he was before and we do not speak of him as much, or we spiritualize the situation, or we don’t say it, but we can ask if he is truly good.  Why are we so schizophrenic with Christ.  If he is always the same, why does our view of him seem to change with the wind so much.  I thought about Paul this morning and what he shared at the end of 2 Corinthians 11. 23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.  So here is a man who experienced all of those things, yet seemed to always welcome the presence of Christ, so matter the situation.  Actually, the difficult situation seemed to fuel his pursuit of Christ even more, not hinder his pursuit of God.  He enjoyed the Son no matter what Life’s weather brought.  How did he get there?  One more verse will help us in 2 Corinthians 5 - 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.                                                                      

Paul did not live for himself and his desires, but he lived for the one who died for him.  No matter how the Son of God shone and bore down upon him, he found it  enjoyable.  How about you and I?

Freedom with Boundaries

I have spent this week reading through the book of Galatians.  This morning I was in chapter 5 where so many famous verses are located.  Three verses stood out:

"13 For you were called to freedom, brothers.  Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another."  Galatians 5:13-15

We have so much freedom in Christ, but the freedom has boundaries.  What can happen if we are not careful is that our freedom in Christ can become a little to "self-centered".  When it gets to that place, it seems to cross a boundary.   We are called to this freedom and Christ died for it, but the freedom we have is not only about what we want to do, but we have to keep in mind others. In other words, our freedom needs to keep the greater good of the community of faith in mind.

Paul says it is in this way, "do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."  We should use our freedom to honor God.  Our freedom is not for the purpose of pleasing our flesh, but to be used through our expression of love - to serve one another.  He then takes it one step further to remind us of the words of Jesus - "Love you neighbor as yourself".  Our freedom is ours, but it is not only about us, it is about loving others and encouraging their faith as well.  At the same time, others should not impose their view of freedom upon us that goes to far, but we as well should not impose our freedom upon them that goes to far.  There is to be a balance both ways - always keeping in mind the idea of loving and serving one another. 

It seems that when our freedom tips to self, the natural result is what Paul writes in verse 15, "But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another".  Self-focused lives usually end up in this way, simply because we are not getting our way in something so we bite and devour others to get what we want, but that is not what freedom in Christ is to be about.

The freedom we have is about the glory of God and honoring him.  Let's enjoy our freedom today that Christ has given us, but let us use this freedom in loving and serving one another as well.

An Ice Cream Booth

Ice Cream reconnected us.  The last 5 weeks of our lives have been so busy that as a family we have not had a chance to look into one another’s faces.  That all changed last night.  We had planned to go to “Wonderland Park” Amusement Park but the line was so large that we decided against it once we were in the parking lot.  Since we were nearby my first youth ministry job, we drove by and showed the kids Pleasant Valley Baptist Church.  Let me tell you this, the kids loved that so much. (read much sarcasm there).  From there we went to Kaleidiscoops and had Ice Cream instead.  The Ice Cream was good, but the community tasted better.  We squeezed into one booth and laughed, ate, looked at one another.  I love my family and am blessed to have such great children and the best wife in the world.  An Ice Cream Booth reminded me of that again.  I pray we all treasure our family today.  It is the first place we experience community.

A Life without Keys

I noticed something interesting about my life on Saturday.  For the first time in I do not know how long (since I was a kid), I own no keys.  I have nothing to get into to go somewhere, no place to call a home to enter, and even no cell phone pin code to unlock.  I have a life without keys.  Wait, I do have a keyboard that I am typing on, at least that is something with “keys” in it.  It is 6:23 am as I write and I have been up for several hours trying to get my body adjusted to CST, all to no avail so far.  So today, I want to reflect upon “keys”.

            Keys allow us in places.  Keys help protect us as they lock us in behind doors. Keys keep dangerous things locked up.  Keys can be frustrating when you cannot find them and they can take up a lot of room in your pocket if you are really important.  None of those I can relate to at the moment as they are for now, a thing of my past.  Though I have no physical set of keys, I am reminded this morning that I do have keys of even greater value than I can ever understand.  Jesus said it in this way:

“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

            Though I have no physical keys at the moment, I see that God is working on me to understand that I have been given “the keys to the kingdom of heaven”, and that is simply enough for now.  Though this change has come upon my life not the time frame I have desired, I still feel important this morning, not by what I own that keys can fit into, but that I have been given the keys to the kingdom to see it extended in the world.

            The truth is, though it would be nice to have a car, our life is made simpler not owning anything but clothing and a couple of computers.  Maybe having so many physical keys is a distraction to our spiritual lives.  The more keys we have, means the more stuff we have that is of earth to worry about or to have to take care of.  So, I will treasure these days of no keys, and ask the Father to deepen my understanding of having the “keys to the kingdom of heaven”.  For I know, that I will have to buy some keys in the days ahead, and maybe I should be better prepared spiritually for when I do have them in my hand.   

 

             

Reflections on the Kö

As I write this morning, we are now 3 days away from leaving Germany as our current home. Last night as I walked on the Königs Allee I found the moment to be emotional.  4 Years of our lives have been given to see the Kingdom of God advance in Germany and the year before we got here, it was spent trying to figure out how we could get here.  The last 5 years of our lives have been spent in focus on this nation called Deutschland. 

As I walked on the KÖ last night I was brought to the place where I looked at who I have become in the last 4 years and I reflected upon the relationships I have in ministry here. My favorite epistle of Paul's is Ephesians. It is obvious how we he loved them as it comes through in this letter.  When you read the book of Acts, you see that Paul deeply loved the people in Ephesus.  A couple of years of his life were spent there as he laughed, taught, ate in their homes, worshiped with them, etc.  He did life with them during that time.  When the time came for Paul to leave Ephesus and move on in his calling to another city, it was an emotional moment for him and them. 

"And there was much weeping  on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful the most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship." Acts 20:37-38

Though I will be back again here seeing those I love, it is still a very difficult moment to say goodbye.

I have become, in all phases of my life, a deeper and more spiritual man. I am a better communicator, 

evangelist,husband, father, and leader because of being here. My understanding of the world, of lostness, of faith, 

of ministry, and of life is deeper because of these 4 years. Mostly this has all come about through relationships, 

relationship with both German believers and lost friends I have here. Relationships, with Jesus, other Christians,  

the understanding of non-believers has shaped me into who I have become.

I now move to a new phase, a new city, and new challenges, etc. And I would say - much better 

prepared to lead in the days before me. So, today, I am grateful to these people, who speak a crazy language 

and who have been used of God to shape me deeper into the passion I have for Christ. So...to these I thank God....

Pascal, Rene und Doro, Sonja, Sarai, Antje, Tobias und Tobita, Alex, Johnny, Bernd, Andre, Dejan, Mike, 

Sebastian and Annemieke.  You have been used of God in my life and I thank you. And when we embrace 

one last time on Thursday evening, let's pray it will not be our last.

Kevin Kuranyi and Jesus

Today, I went to the airport to make our reservations to stay in a hotel for our last 3 nights. I also, being that close to the airport Starbucks, needed to go see how the workers were doing.  They were doing okay and gave me a Cafe Americano for about 4 Euro because I was so nice.  That was so nice of them.  As I left Starbucks was going down the escalator, I was in my own world and then as I got focus again, I found myself looking into the face of my favorite German soccer player on my favorite team, Kevin Kuranyi.  I am not a crazy fan of sports guys, but it was an unexpected and cool moment and was about to say something to him and then he looked at me and we simply nodded to each other. Right there before my favorite player and I didn't say anything, ask for an autograph or follow him around and see what he was up to.  I just kept going.                                                                                                                                           We experience this with God as well.  There we are going through our lives and we look up and there is God. He is speaking to us through his creation, His Word, a friend, through prayer or a sermon, etc.  We are in his presence, see him, and instead of treasuring the moments, we move on and we do not linger more in his presence.  I know that even if I had wanted to talk to Kevin Kuranyi, he would not have as he was on his way somewhere.  It is not so with God when we are in his presence.  He is not going anywhere but where we are.  It is his desire to be with us as he is not going anywhere but where we are.  He does not give us the nod, but maybe we give him the nod to often and miss out on potential significant moments with Him.

There is one verse in Exodus 33 that speaks of this aspect in our relationship with God.  Here is the verse:  "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to a friend.  When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent." (Exodus 33:11). Joshua did not want to leave the presence of God, but we take the time to linger and reflect on most likely what he heard in the tent.  Have you been there?  Where you have experienced him  and want to stay and reflect upon that experience. We must avoid giving God the "Nod" and make sure that we desire to spend significant moments with the most famous person in the world.

Transformed into his Likeness

How do we become more like Jesus in the way he lived, spoke, and ministered? The answer lies in our posture of worship.  Jesus is the person of Spiritual development and only in beholding him through worship, can the real change in our lives really take place.  Look at the scripture below by Paul.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 2 Corinthians 3: 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.                                                                           

So, how do we become more like him?  The context of these verses speaks to when Moses would spend time with God face to face (Exodus 33-34).  As Moses would spend time with God, his head would literally glow from being in God’s presence and he would have to put a covering on his head to hide it.  Paul references this experience of Moses here and relates it to how we become more and more like Christ.  Just as Moses looked at the glory of God and it brought about some transformation, it transformed him only temporarily, as the glowing eventually faded away.   Paul says it is different in our looking at Jesus in worship.  This “beholding” transforms us into his likeness with an ever-increasing glory.  The more we behold him, the more we are transformed into his likeness.  The more we are transformed into his likeness, the more we live our lives like he lived his.  This does not happen overnight, but it happens with an ever-increasing process, but only when we behold him.  We cannot stay away and not think about him and expect to learn more of Christ.  We have to come to him and see who he is as God and what he has done for us in both his life, death, and resurrection.                                                                                                                                                                                   Worship happens when we treasure Christ above everything else.  Treasuring him means that we think that there is nothing or no one more valuable than him.  Jesus died so that we can be in relationship with him and nothing deepens that relationship more than the beholding of Jesus as God.  He is the key to our development and it makes perfect sense that if we are to become more and more like him, that we would spend time seeking after his glory.