Engaging culture: A necessary task

Sunday night we had our first session of our "Worldview University". We are going to have to add extra seating or change seating for next week based on the turnout and the anticipation and feeling of engagement was palpable. 

I want to reiterate a core position that was communicated regarding our Biblical stands and living them in a growingly antagonistic culture. We truly can take our cues from Jesus, and then Paul, and work hard at keeping the gospel at the center of all we do. It is the gospel that changes hearts, you and I are testimonies of that change. When we become convinced that the next election or an argument on Facebook is how we can change the world we have allowed Satan to drag us into the muck of meaninglessness and have become disillusioned to the power of the gospel.

A 92 year old prayer for today

Samuel M. Zwemer (1867-1952), “The Apostle to Islam,” prayed this for the Muslims and the Middle East:

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who hast made of one blood all nations and hast promised that many shall come from the East and sit down with Abraham in thy kingdom: We pray for thy prodigal children in Muslim lands who are still afar off, that they may be brought nigh by the blood of Christ. Look upon them in pity, because they are ignorant of thy truth.

Take away pride of intellect and blindness of heart, and reveal to them the surpassing beauty and power of thy Son Jesus Christ. Convince them of their sin in rejecting the atonement of the only Savior. Give moral courage to those who love thee, that they may boldly confess thy name.

Hasten the day of religious freedom in Turkey, Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Africa. Send forth reapers where the harvest is ripe, and faithful plowmen to break furrows in lands still neglected. May the tribes of Africa and Malaysia not fall prey to Islam but be won for Christ. Bless the ministry of healing in every hospital, and the ministry of love at every church and mission. May all Muslim children in mission schools be led to Christ and accept him as their personal Savior.

Strengthen converts, restore backsliders, and give all those who labor among Muslims the tenderness of Christ, so that bruised reeds may become pillars of his church, and smoking flaxwicks burning and shining lights. Make bare thine arm, O God, and show thy power. All our expectation is from thee.

Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son in the Muslim world, and fulfill through him the prayer of Abraham thy friend, “O, that Ishmael might live before thee.” For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

God delivers: Hewa woman are set free

Sunday morning our church gathered together in prayer for 4 Hewa women condemned to die. They along with their children and grandchildren were facing the reality of a "head witch's" decision that the measles outbreak was their fault and they must be killed because of it.

First Baptist Church joined with countless other believers all around the world in praying for their rescue and for this to turn to an occasion for gospel clarity and an embracing of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This morning we received this update:
 
"According to Lutheran missionary Anton Lutz, the message from the missionary and government delegation was well received. In the end, the local commander declared all suspects free and banned the sorcery courts.

ABC news in Australia is reporting that at the meeting not only were the women released, but a ceremony was held where the “head witch” turned over a stone declaring she would not be involved in this kind of activity again.

Praise God for a favorable outcome for Susana, Kontas, Mifila and Helen; their children and their grandchildren!

Please continue to pray for the Hewa people who have not yet and heard or believed God’s Word. Please pray for other villages and people groups in Papua New Guinea who have similar practices.
The youth coordinator for the Western Highlands provincial government of Papua New Guinea, Ruth Kissam, said earlier this month that violence against women accused of witchcraft is a national emergency and it is  creating a refugee crisis in some parts of the country."

Let us be reminded of the importance of prayer and the intense need for the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world - we can make a difference.

Mark 11: No faith / No Figs

As I read Mark 11 today I spent some time considering the truths behind the fig tree: you know, the cursing of the fig tree that had no fruit.
What lies behind this?
What are we to make of it?
Why did Jesus curse the fig tree?
I feel like one of the disciples left scratching my head. I feel right there with Peter in verse 21 when he asks Jesus about what that is all about.

And what was Jesus' response? "Have faith in God."
Ok...   Then Jesus describes what it looks like to have...

"After darkness, light!"

The transfiguration moment had to be one of the most amazing moments for Peter, James, and John. Jesus, the light of the world, becoming radiant - intensely white - His greater glory shining through and God the Father declaring His Son's identity and His authority.

God's Word (the Bible) tells us of Jesus  (The Living Word) is exalted by God the Father through the spoken word. And they were able to see it all. Impacting. Unforgettable. The kind of moment that can

Heart problems?

How's your Heart? How often do you focus on having a healthy heart? Whether it's the physical heart beating in your chest or the spiritual one that gets suffocated in self and longs for
more of God, we tend to give them limited attention. We tend to focus on the surface. How many made a new years resolution to get a healthy heart? OK, maybe the guy who just had the quadruple bypass.

Jesus pinpoints this in this passage. God sees many people who talk a good walk, but

Mark 4: Ears to hear?

"He that has ears to hear, let him hear." - Jesus

Some just cannot hear. Some just will not hear. Some are resolved in remaining hearing impaired. It may be a "what I refuse to hear, I cannot be held responsible for" mentality. It's largely a spiritual impairment. Like trying to talk football stats and reviewing the latest games with someone who has zero interest in the game. Paul refers to them as "natural" as opposed to "spiritual" (1 Corinthians 2:4). They cannot hear because they are truths that are only understood through the spiritual guidance of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise they appear as just foolishness.

We need the Spirit at work helping us as we read God's Word and discern the climate around us. If you are having trouble getting something from the Word. You have hearing trouble today. Really on the Spirit. Ask God for wisdom. He supplies and will help you advance beyond the seedling stage to a fruit bearing plant: a follower of Christ that leaves Christ's footprint wherever you go.

Start the year off right: Get in the Word

On Thursday January 1st we will start the 5x5x5 plan by reading Mark 1. The Plan is reading  - 1 Chapter a day

• 5 minutes - this is how long it takes to read the average chapter in the New Testament
• 5 days a week - Reading Monday-Friday with the Weekends as time for reflection.
• 5 ways to go connect with others.

This reading plan is from Discipleship Journal and you can pick up a printed version next Sunday at church for the month of January. The app for your mobile devices can be downloaded from You Version: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/232-discipleship-journals-5x5x5-reading-planWe have also added an Old Testament passage that helps connect the passage in some way with God's earlier revelation.

This year we are really going to stress sharing your 5x5 with others, and we are providing 5 ways to personally connect with someone. Choosing one of these 5 ways to connect is what makes it the 5x5x5. It is also how we grow and encourage each other to grow, so let's get busy and begin having Bible conversations with each other this year.  Here are some different ways that can happen:

1. Purposeful conversation: Each day set out to share what you read with someone during the course of the day.
2. Planned interaction: This is you and someone else or a group gathering regularly, once a week and sharing together the things God is showing each of you.
3. Personal testimony: Come ready to share something special from your reading in a group setting with your church family: in a group like Sunday School, Mid-week prayer and Bible study, Ladies fellowship, Men's Breakfast, or in some other way.
4. Partnership Reading: Purposely set aside time with a friend, you family, or your spouse and read through the 5x5 together.
5. Prioritized journaling: As you read jot down some of the ways that God's Word spoke to you and prioritize sharing those thoughts in an encouraging note or email to somebody else each week.

With the above possibilities of having Bible conversations that count, we are providing a R.O.A.D.map you could follow each day as you read:

There are many different methods for reading the Bible. This is called R.O.A.D. journaling. The acronym R.O.A.D. contains the directions. We encourage you to actually write down your thoughts (ie journaling) if you use this method. Here’s the meaning of the acronym:
 

R (Read) -Pray for understanding, then read through the text slowly and deliberately. If you have time, read the text twice.

O (Observe)- Observe the details of the text and try to understand what the author is saying. For example, pay attention to things like: facts (Who? What? When? Where? Why?), repetition, contrast, cause and effect, definitions, explanations, questions, quotations, commands, prohibitions, warnings, promises, etc.

A (Apply)-Answer two questions: What is God saying in this text? What am I going to do about it?

D (Depend)-Pray for continued understanding, trust, and obedience. Ask God’s Spirit to help you apply these truths to your life right now. As the Spirit leads, feel free to praise God, confess and repent of sin, embrace God’s grace, etc

Pragmatism is killing the church

Faithful Gardening

by Travis Allen

When Methodist missionary J. Waskom Pickett published Christian Mass Movements in India in 1933, it would’ve been impossible to predict its impact on American evangelicalism. His observations about rates of conversion and church growth among Indian castes may have seemed innocuous at the time, but his interest in outcomes betrayed assumptions rooted in pragmatism.

Pickett’s book resonated strongly with young Donald McGavran, who carried the baton forward, lighting his “candle at Pickett’s fire.” Using Pickett’s observations, McGavran developed the “homogeneous growth unit principle,” that people prefer “to become Christians without crossing racial, linguistic, or class barriers.” Keeping people as comfortable as possible was the key to higher conversion and growth rates. That’s pragmatism, unvarnished and unapologetic—practical outcomes, measured value, and determined conduct.

McGavran returned from the mission field to plant pragmatic growth strategies in the fertile, Arminian soil of American evangelicalism. It was like pouring Miracle-Gro on weeds. Churches that incorporated McGavran’s seekerfriendly church-growth strategies were booming. The come-as-you-are gospel was more appealing—and therefore more numerically successful—than the gospel of self-sacrifice.

Though today there’s widespread disillusionment with the fields of weeds, many continue to engage in pragmatism. It’s distorting the gospel as it’s contextualized to other cultures and subcultures. And it’s turning the Sunday worship service into a staged event, with all the requisite accoutrements—rock band, “attractional” preaching, and support groups.

Pragmatism is so deeply rooted in evangelical soil that many pastors enter ministry embracing its assumptions. In fact, it’s so native to evangelical thinking that some pastors fail to see the incongruity in teaching the doctrines of grace while practicing Arminian-style evangelism and church-growth strategies.

It’s time to weed the garden. Let’s eradicate every noxious, thorny strategy rooted in pragmatism. Not only does pragmatism undermine the consistency of our theology and practice, but it’s choking out the good fruit of a principle-driven, convictional ministry grounded in God’s Word. So, here are four reasons to don the gardening gloves and grab the trowel:

First, pragmatism clouds the church’s vision. Pragmatism requires us to examine practical results, that is, to walk by sight, not by faith. Yet our judgment is limited and fallible at best; if we are the arbiter of what works, we reinforce prideful self-reliance, which is blindness. God calls us to live by faith. We are to fear Him, trust His Word, and leave the results—and our judgment about what works—to Him. Walking by faith clears the church’s vision.

Second, pragmatism diminishes the church’s glory. Pragmatism fosters man-centeredness, glorying in man’s ability, ingenuity, and innovation—which is no glory at all. The church is an assembly of sinners, redeemed by faith, who glory in the God of sovereign grace. William Gurnall wrote,

God is more jealous of having the glory of his grace ravished by the pride and self-glorying of the creature, than ever any prince was of having his queen deflowered … to secure it from any such horrid abuse, he hath chosen faith … whose very nature, being a self-emptying grace, renders it incapable of entering into any such design against the glory of God’s grace.

God is the church’s glory, not man. His power is manifest when the church trusts His Word to accomplish His will.

Third, pragmatism supplants the church’s true authority. Pragmatism puts man—his judgments, innovations, and strategies—in the seat of authority. But the church belongs to Christ (Matt. 16:18). As head of the church, what He says is exclusively authoritative (Eph. 4:15; 5:23).

Fourth, pragmatism diverts the church’s purpose. Like waterless clouds, pragmatism finally fails to deliver on its promises. Christ’s Great Commission is to make disciples, which involves baptizing (evangelism) and teaching (edification). We’re to do that without anxiously counting numbers. How many disciples depends on God’s sovereign election, not our methods.

Christ designed the church to be “the pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15) by proclaiming the gospel to the lost and teaching the redeemed to practice the truth. That’s Ephesians 4:11-16: Apostles and prophets laid the church’s foundation with the truth; evangelists plant new believers in the truth; pastors and teachers anchor saints by teaching and equipping them according to the truth.

So, pastors should spend their time and energy on studying and thinking deeply about truth. Feeding Christ’s sheep should be their consuming preoccupation (John 21:15-17). They are shepherds, not entrepreneurs. They guide the flock by the “pattern of sound words” (2 Tim. 1:13) and entrust those words to faithful teachers who will teach the next generation (2:2). The church desperately needs men who will “hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that [they] may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9).

Pragmatism is poison to the church. Church ministry is about trusting the sovereign will of God and being faithful to plant and water the good seed of the gospel (1 Cor. 3:6-8). Growth, increase, fruit—that’s entirely up to Him.

The Bible - 5.8 Billion got it: 1.3 to go!

An estimated 5.8 billion people now have all or some of the Holy Bible translated into their first language, and the Bible is now in more than 2,800 different languages, according to a recent announcement by Wycliffe Bible Translators USA.

"Last year, Wycliffe Global Alliance reported that 4.9 billion people could access at least part of the Bible in their first language. This year the number has grown to 5.8 billion," Bob Creson, president and CEO of Wycliffe, told The Christian Post. "This represents tremendous progress toward our goal of starting a translation project in every language needing one by 2025."

Creson also told CP that technological advances in areas like translation are "a critical role in speeding up the translation process."

"Software like Adapt It automates some parts of the translation process, dramatically cutting down the time required to produce first drafts in related languages," said Creson.

"We have also adapted a cluster-project model for translating. Rather than developing each translation independently, cluster projects bring similar languages together so translators can share skills and insights with each other."

Wycliffe Global Alliance, which is comprised of over 120 organizations from more than 60 nations including Wycliffe USA, broke the statistics in a press release.

"There are about 7000 languages in active use and at least one book of Scripture exists in almost 2,900 of these languages," noted WGA. "At least 1.3 billion people do not have the full Bible available in their first language. Over 634 million of these have the New Testament; others have portions or at least some level of work begun."

The Wycliffe organization credited efforts like YouVersion's Bible App, Faith Comes by Hearing audio Scriptures and the "JESUS" film in using twenty-first century technology to reach out to remote regions.

"Though there has been astounding progress toward complete global Bible access, there is a lot of work to be done to reach the 1.3 billion people around the world without the full Bible," commented Creson to CP. "God has been faithful in bringing the people and technology required to complete this mission, and we're confident that someone alive today will start the last new Bible translation project."

Source URL : http://www.christianpost.com/news/wycliffe-reaches-5-8-billion-people-with-bible-translations-129536/

What you and I have in common with Ray Rice: Titus 2

The stories flooding in from the National Football League have been all over the news. Ray Rice knocking out his fiancé in the hotel elevator; Adrian Peterson whipping his son;  indecision; suspensions; drugs; and apologies. It turns our stomach and makes us wonder if fame and money perpetuate such conduct. Talent tends to swell our heads and when we glory in skill and ability played between white lines chalked on a field it’s no wonder kids end up with heroes that have little to no moral integrity. In the end the NFL must begin to care about far more than winning on Sunday and filling stadiums.
 
If you have watched any of the behaviors of football players off the field recently you are aware of the fact that there is a serious problem with domestic abuse. This really shines a light on anger acting out in extreme ways that endangers people. Though we may not be abusers, each one of us carries the marks of our own depravity. Paul tells Titus that though we are given grace by God, we also must get to work denying temptations and sinful tendencies that creep in. Instead we should live in a way that reflects God’s character and His work in our lives.

 

What’s happening in the league reminds us of every individual’s depravity; and if we are honest we also know that what is happening is not isolated to big guys with lots of money. There is a big problem all around us with domestic violence and we must speak out and defend the abused. But we must also own the errors of our own ways too; we are all sinners. We, just like Ray Rice, have done wrong. You may not have beat someone down, but you have committed countless other sins. So, do some introspection too; don't be content to be better than "that guy". Don't ever forget your own depravity; don't ever stop seeing your need for the transforming work of Jesus in your own life.

The short book of Titus records a short primer on life, godliness, and ministry in this letter from Paul to another one of his spiritual sons. Titus 2:11-13 holds some important reminders for every believer. God is doing a work in us and as he works on us, He also has some things He tells us to work on. There is no doubt that salvation is a work that he has done in us, but he is then teaching us that we need to take some things seriously as we follow our new Lord and Savior.

So what are we to be doing? We need to say “NO”. “No” to everything that is anti-God;  and “No” to everything that causes us to desire things that are not from Him. There are many things that we could lust after that will drive us away from His good intentions and plans for us. Money, success, “greener” relationships, power, prestige, or making “happiness” our god. Paul tells Titus to say “no” to these things and “yes” to thought-filled living, right steps, and a God-reflecting life. Paul tells Titus to be motivated by the fact that Jesus is returning and exchange sinful habits and lifestyles for new steps that sober, righteous, and godly. This means each of us, including Ray Rice, can find forgiveness and empowerment for a new life and purpose in the saving work of Christ on the cross. He died so we would be forgiven and be transformed into His disciples.

So let me pose this question: when Jesus returns will He find you reflecting Him and living as His redeemed child? When He returns what will He find you doing? Will you look like Him and zealously be doing His work? Or will you look more like a football player who made his ambition about an inflated piece of leather, a wad of green paper, or abusively controlling those around him. Will you be on your own agenda or on His mission for you? Are you living in light of what he has redeemed you for, or borrowing from the trash He rescued you from?  Why not get back in the real game and live for something that will last: get busy trading in the world’s garbage for eternity’s treasure.

Igniting fire for life in Christ: 2 Timothy 1

Over the last year there has been this pile of brush down near the softball field on our church’s property that has kept expanding. Broken branches, dead, bushes, and who knows what else has been thrown there. This past Friday night we decided to have the biggest bonfire in Michigan and set it ablaze. If you know me well, I’m not exactly the camping type so starting a fire for me usually includes lighter fluid. So I left the job of lighting it to someone else. In no time the pile was lighting up the entire area. It is amazing to watch just one little flame engulf an area and multiply its heat.

In 2 Timothy 1 Paul uses language that we can appreciate if we have ever seen someone who knows what they are doing when they start a fire. Paul tells Timothy to “stir up the gift” or “fan into flame the gift” that God had given him. I remember watching this happen around the campfire. Just as it looked like the fire was dying, someone begins to blow or fan the ashes or embers. At first it looks like it is going to put the fire out, and then a flame bursts out and the fire begins to grow and then spread. All the fire needed was to have some fresh oxygen to grow.

This is the message Paul is giving Timothy. Do you ever feel stagnant spiritually? You begin to lack desire, or you can tell that there is something missing. Your zeal, your prayer time, your trust in God, even things like reading the Bible and going to a worship service become chores. You are not alone, it happens to all of us. It happened to Timothy and even Paul.

Spiritual apathy is a casual complacency that sneaks in and eventually has the effect of

Sharing words that encourage: 1 Timothy 1

What words should you share with someone you are trying to encourage? What are the things that you need reminding of in your daily walk? I find it interesting how some people have a knack for saying just the right thing to calm your soul and put you at ease. And then it is crazy to think about that one individual who has the total opposite effect and always says something that just doesn’t set well…. Uh, that’s being kind, because they usually say something that makes your blood

Are we fools? 1 Corinthians 4

We are fools for Christ’s sake. Fools – fools in the eyes of those around us; fools to those that don’t walk or talk like us. Fools for believing in the unseen God. Fools for having a hope in a far better future. Fools for yielding to a higher power who we know by name. Fools for allowing that unseen One to dictate our courses of action, give purpose to our existence, or demand our life consecration. Fools for Christ’s sake – those words were used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 4 to remind Corinth that outside of faith and the promises in Chris,t his actions and the suffering he went through to be a faithful steward just did not make sense to the apostate world around them. To choose the preaching of the cross had left them imprisoned, hungry, naked, tortured, suffering, and left for dead. He adds these words, “We are made as the filth of the world. And are the offscourging of all things.”

This was the life of Paul. This is what he was called to. This was the otherside we often forget of seeing the power of God ignite the church planting movement throughout the Roman Empire. The reminder serves as my personal chastisement for seeking comfort over Christ, for choosing the easy path, and for going to spiritual war without my armor. If we follow Paul’s example than we too open ourselves up to being viewed as fools. The alternative: live life no differently than the masses who have no lasting hope, no eternal purpose, and no Savior in the Christ who died that we might live for a kingdom yet unseen: Yes, Live foolishly. Live for the glory of the Creator. Live in light of following Sovereign God. Live in the reality of an eternal existence. Live because you have been granted the privilege of knowing and talking with and spending forever with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. To Him that’s faithfulness; to everyone else that’s foolishness. I trust you choose to live foolishly.

Are we worshipping the family?

The following are possible signs that we have begun worshipping the family rather than encouraging our family to be worshippers:

We Seldom Host Others: If our home is seen primarily as a citadel set against the world, there is a problem. A home centered upon Christ will be marked by growing hospitality. It is a way station of truth and worship. We gladly invite others into it for rest, encouragement, and strengthening.

We Seldom Reach Out to Others: If our family is so insular that others don’t know us, there is a problem. A Christian family filled with love and worship should overflow to those around them. Neighbors and co-workers can’t help but be touched by the love that permeates in and cascades from our family.

We Seldom Serve in the Church: If our family is so focused on just being a family that we can’t attend mid-week bible studies or are so intent on being together Sunday morning that the parents can’t teach Sunday School or assist in the nursery, there is a problem. As a Christian family we are to see ourselves as part of the community. Not separate from it. Not more important than it. But essential to it.

We Seldom Have Time: If our family is always busy with its own activities, whether soccer, piano, ballet, family vacations, or even family worship to the point that we have little time for others, there is a problem. The enrichment and growth of our children, even in spiritual things, is not to pull us away from people but towards them. Yes, we only have so many years to train and teach our children while they are at home. But are we teaching them that they and their activities are the center of life or worshipping Christ and loving others is what is most important?

We Seldom Sacrifice: If our family is reluctant to give generously, because of what it costs our family, there is a problem. We hesitate to give above our tithe to missionaries, the local church, the building fund, or the homeless shelter because our children’s college education comes first. We neglect supporting the church member headed out on a short-term mission’s trip, because our family “educational trip” is more important. We always have an excuse. And it is always our family’s need that provides the ground for that excuse. Rather, the Christian family should be generous in giving—generous to the point of giving sacrificially.

We Seldom Have Flexibility: If others feel like they are always interrupting our family by calling, visiting, or proposing a time to get-together, there is a problem. Others will notice it before us. They begin to feel like our family’s routine cannot be interrupted under any circumstances. We convey this consciously or even subconsciously and others pickup on it. Rather, our family should be noted by its flexibility and joy when others stop by, friendliness when called, and availability when needed.

We Seldom Speak Well of Others: If our family tends to have an arrogant air about it, there is a problem. We have it together. Others don’t quite understand the importance of the family, worship, and our calling as parents. Our conversations are too often critical and judgmental. If only others understood as we do. May it never be! Our families should be filled with thanking God for others. Our children should hear us commending and promoting others. People should find that we are refreshing to their souls, rather than critical of their practices.

By all means, let us enjoy and treasure our families. Let us celebrate the gift they are. Let us pour out our lives and hearts into ministering to our spouse, rearing our children in Christ, and filling our homes with the love and truth of Christ. However, in so doing, let us also be worshippers of the Christ we are seeking to honor. Let us worship Him in our worshipping families, rather than worship our families in the name of worshipping Him.

Written by Jason Helopoulos, guest blogger on thegospelcoalition.org

The indelible link between love and forgiveness

This morning I was amazed again by the story of the full and unreserved worship of the woman with the alabaster box. Not because of her boldness alone, or her sacrifice – which according to historians was of extreme value. Though those were part of this account in Luke 7, that is not what Jesus chooses to highlight; He shines a light on two qualities that he then reveals are indelibly linked: her love and her living forgiven. You see those who have been forgiven, respond in love; and isn’t that a key factor in the sincerity and strength of your worship today: to what extent have you been forgiven?

Reconciliation Anyone? A interesting case study from the 1st Century

The early church is a great example of ministry in the midst of so much wrong culturally. Class warfare, social and ethical bigotry, and national pride were already in existence prior to the breakout growth and expansion of the church. So how would the church respond? They promoted unashamedly the gospel and allowed forgiveness and righteous living to reverberate into the culture while maintaining a firm grasp on that gospel. If the gospel has not effected our practical daily living or brought change to relationships then we don't have the same gospel that so affected Paul, Onesimus, and Philemon. The short letter of Philemon is a quick read that reminds us even today how the gospel is to shape our relationships. Reconciliation anyone? How is the gospel reverberating in your life?

The freedom found in Romans 8

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

The life-altering announcement of “no condemnation” rings in our ears from verse 1 and now it only gets better. FREEDOM – Free from the law of sin and death. FREEDOM – when in the past all I knew was the law and my short-comings in fulfilling it. FREEDOM – not of my own doing but freedom that comes in the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ.

It reminds me of one of my favorite songs:

There is a wall that has been standing, since the day that Adam fell
Sin is where it started, and Sin is why it held
Speaking as a prisoner, who was there and lived to tell
I remember how it fell ….
This is how it feels to be free. This is what it means to know that I am forgiven

 

The law has its role. It shows me the holiness of God. It reveals my sin. It reminds me time and again of my need for something that is not in me. It hits me again and again with legal evidence

Wrong Reasons to love the church

• Don’t love the church because of what it does for you. Because sooner or later it won’t do enough.
• Don’t love the church because of a leader. Because human leaders are fallible and will let you down.
• Don’t love the church because of a program or a building or activities because all those things get old.
• Don’t love the church because of a certain group of friends because friendships change and people move.

Love the church because of who shed his blood to obtain the church. Love the church because of who the church belongs to. Love the church because of who the church worships. Love the church because you love Jesus Christ and his glory. Love the church because Jesus is worthy and faithful and true. Love the church because Jesus loves the church. - Joshua Harris

The role of the church in the public arena: Is it our job to legislate morality?

Definitions are important:
First, we may need to differentiate between legislating Christianity and legislating morality. Religious freedom gives individuals the opportunity to worship who and how they so desire as long as it does not impede on others rights. We should not be imposing faith on others by making anything but "Christianity" illegal. I have no problem with having laws that encourage morality: laws against stealing, killing, and any other laws that enhance human flourishing. I don’t see Paul or the Apostles seeking to legislate their Biblical values upon or through the government, but instead boldly proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christian laws for the non-Christian?
Second, we as Christians need to be careful about applying God’s law to those outside the body of Christ. We may get into a sticky topic here, but I find it interesting that people in the church get so riled up about non- Christians being homosexual when the average church sees divorce and heterosexual activity outside of marriage as a lighter issue, and often turns a blind eye to these issues. Sexual sin is sin, no matter what form it takes: infidelity, adultery, pornography, sex outside marriage, etc. We also need to ask why we have an expectation for unregenerate people, who don't have Christ, to turn from this lifestyle and accept our way of thinking when they have no power through Christ to overcome this. Paul uses homosexuality in Romans 1 as an example of the apostate mind and life. We should not expect to see change by making more laws. The only way change will come is if the heart finds Jesus and forgiveness.

Christian but not at all like Christ?
Third, I believe that in churches and families we need to do a much better job of seeking after holiness. This means we need to love the law - it is revealing the character and quality of Christ. We need greater attention to the commands of Jesus and his underlying of the ten commandments and the moral law. Romans 7:12 tells us the law is holy, good, and just; we just need to make sure we don't turn its fulfilling into the means by which we think we obtain eternal life (that's legalism). We have an identity crisis in which many in the church live no differently in reference to lying, hate, divorce, and a whole host of other actions. This does not equate; if we have God’s Spirit in us then why do we look nothing like Jesus? It is either that we don’t have God’s Spirit in us or we don’t understand what Jesus is calling us to.

Being leery of authority types not ordained in scripture
Fourth, When I think of Christian colonies from our American history and nations that would seek to be Christian according to their bylaws I get nervous about the idea of a government of coercion or by fabricating faith and forced conversions. Having Christ-centered membership is to be the responsibility of a church, but I'm not sure we find Biblical precedence outside of theocratic Israel. I believe we must avoid promoting this type of extra-biblical authority. This lends itself to other serious assumptions as to leadership, control, and law. We just don't find this in Paul's world or in the NT.

Muddying the waters with less than the gospel
Finally, I think we should also be careful that we be clear about the gospel and stand for our rights as believers to worship and live out the teachings of God's Word. Where we may need to be careful is that we entangle ourselves so much in political issues that the gospel gets blurred or forgotten, taking a back seat to other teachings. We must be careful to teach the whole counsel of God in our churches, but not expect righteousness from those who don't have Christ's righteousness or God's Spirit to enable righteous living. If people reject us and choose not to come to our churches, I trust it will be for those issues that pertain to the gospel and their rejection of Christ and that they not drive by the church and say "that's that democrat/ or republican church" or "there's those Obama hater's." If that is what we are known for then we have not properly communicated and lived out the message of Jesus Christ. The average individual we meet needs Jesus and not the vast amount of extra-Biblical things the church has often aligned itself with or the less primary Biblical issues the church has at times made itself primarily defined by.

In closing let me emphasize that we must be people who live by the Word and should be careful about expecting Godly living from those who have rejected Jesus. We must also be careful not to have our own modern day Salem Witch Hunt that veers us far off the path of holding forth the gospel as salt and light and instead causes us to enter behavior modification with more laws, no grace and utter darkness. This is not the mission we have been called to; this is not the role of the church; and this is not the gospel of the Kingdom of God.