Golden Ticket to Heaven

Text for this Sunday's sermon/discussion at The River:  

John 14:1-7 (NLT)

So... we're allegedly working our way through the New Testament one book per week at a time... but I just can't get past the Gospel of John, my all-time favorite book! That's okay... I got permission from my congregation to wander down spiritual rabbit-trails as the Spirit leads.  :-)

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Question: What does Jesus mean when he says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me"?

I mean, really. Let's think about that.

Does Jesus mean that everyone who utters his name and accepts him as Lord and Savior is heaven bound... no matter what? Is it our golden ticket?

What if that person quickly falls away from his or her faith? What if they never meant it in the first place? What if challenges rob them of their trust in God... or temptations distract them from desire for God? What if they make an emotional decision to follow Jesus (on the way to the Father), but later they change their mind about this whole "religion" thing? What if they proclaim Jesus as Lord, and systematically go to church, and pray, and give... but have no love for people? What if they can't forgive someone who's wounded them deeply? What if a person gets caught up in a system of rules and regulations and loses authentic faith in the midst of legalism? What if they physically show up to church and go through endless amounts of dead liturgy... but the dots from their head to their heart never truly get connected in a meaningful way? What if they love God and serve Him faithfully for many years, but watch their life fall apart piece by piece... and eventually just give up hope?

I ask again, what does Jesus mean by "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me"?

Is Jesus talking about heaven here? Is he talking about the afterlife? Is he informing Church-goers about the price of admission into the secret tent?

Is Jesus giving us a formula for entrance into the Pearly Gates? A magic phrase that gets us "in" while so many others in the world are left "out"? Let me ask it another way: Are we citizens of the Western (a.k.a, "Christian" world) just more blessed than those unfortunate to be born in India, or Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia, or any other non-Christian nation? What about those people born into godless homes... whose only understanding of God and Jesus comes from televangelists, or Hollywood movies like Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby?

"Dear tiny Jesus, with your golden, fleece diapers, 

with your tiny little fat balled up fist ... "

Anyway... Are all those Jesus-ignorant people going to hell? Even Gandhi? Even Bill Gates? Heck, even Will Ferrell? Not professed Christians (that I know of)... but evil? Worthy of eternal punishment? 

By the way, what does hell really look like? 

Hmmmm... now THAT is a good topic for another day!

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy both reportedly found Christ while serving time in prison.  They both committed atrocities against helpless victims, and they both died while behind bars. So, assuming they prayed the sinner's prayer... assuming they saw Jesus as the way and the truth and the life... are they in heaven? Does that seem fair? How in the world is St. Peter going to sort it all out when we're standing there to see if we "get in"?

So... is it what we say that gets us in? Or is it what we do? Or is it what we believe? Or is it where we were born? Or is it how much we give up? Or is it how much we love others? Or... are we all just subject to God's whims and predetermined plans? Are we merely cosmic playthings to a bored and/or callous and ultimately uncaring creator? Are we pawns in a otherworldly chess match? Does it even matter what we say or do or believe or choose or trust?

Is it even wise or reverent to ask these kinds of questions? Will he get mad?

What the heck are we supposed to do in response to Jesus' words?

What does he want from us anyway?

Believe it or not... I do have an opinion on the subject. An informed one? Yes. A thoughtful one? I believe so. But a safe one? Uh... no, not on your life. I'm not here to provide easy, pithy answers. I'm here to stimulate deeper thought and discussion about the profound love of God through Jesus Christ... as beautifully yet mysteriously revealed in the Word.

Let's discuss it on Sunday morning together, okay? Read John 13-16 to get some good context. And meanwhile, feel free to post your comments online regarding the Golden Ticket issue. I love a good debate.  :-)

As Living Stones

This week at The River we'll have a special guest-speaker. Marty Stewart will lead us in a discussion relating to 1 Peter 2:4-10.

^{1PE 2:4} And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,

^{1PE 2:5} you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

^{1PE 2:6} For this is contained in Scripture:

“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,

AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”

^{1PE 2:7} This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

“THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,

THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,”

^{1PE 2:8} and,

“A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”;

for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

^{1PE 2:9} But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

^{1PE 2:10} for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

 As we have considered the direction of our faith community in recent months, I have looked at the scriptures to find the greater purpose of God’s church.  I happened on the above and have listened to what it has to say about our response to God’s love.  

A couple of weeks ago Pastor Jeff made the Mathew reference that the essence of our calling is that we are called to “love God and love your neighbor as yourself.”   I want to focus on the love your neighbor part.  Some neighbors are difficult to love and Christ noted that your enemy is also your neighbor in the Sermon on the Mount, as Pastor Jeff impressed upon us on 9/11.

But how do we do that?  I think we have opportunity but either we don’t recognize it or fear overcomes us and we fail to show God’s love, expressed in Christ living in us, in our relationships with our fellow human beings. Sometimes it is the nature of the neighbor that we can not overcome.  Sometimes it is the heat of the moment that we express ourselves as purely human and fail to reflect the love of God.  Very often we feel ill-equipped to reach out in love and simply avoid the opportunity.  We are not always prepared.

As Peter says, we are being built up as spiritual sacrifices.   How?  I believe this should be a purpose of the church body and leadership to help equip us to boldly reach out in love to our neighbors, and, yes, our enemies and to “proclaim  the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Of the adjectives that we have chosen to describe The River is missional.   I take missional to mean that we are outwardly focused.  Churches have long been marketing to attract membership and numbers and increasing programs to attract more individuals seeking community.  But we claim to be missional.  We are to reach out into the darkness and bring light, Christ’s light.  We are to recognize the oppressed and depressed, the hurting, those in crises, and those in pain that we encounter, and even seek them out, and offer Christ’s love through the Holy Spirit.  Our work is outside the church. 

The church, on the other hand, is for “equipping the saints,” both in spirit and talent.   It is where we get support and rejuvenation.  It is where we get refilled with God’s love and the Spirit.  It is where we are equipped and educated, armed for God’s battle over evil and darkness.  We are to be the light unto the world.

Nothing But the Truth

This Sunday, we're starting a new sermon series at The River:

 

What's the Big Idea?
Exploring the Wonder of the New Testament
Book 1: The Gospel of Matthew

So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets...

You see that phrase a lot when you read the Gospel of Matthew - or at least something very similar. Matthew's Gospel is the first book in the New Testament. Have you ever wondered why? I mean, was it because it was written first? Or maybe because it includes a lot of teaching, and therefore serves as a good introduction to the New Testament? Maybe... probably. However, there is an even better reason Matthew has always been presented as the first of the four gospels: It's obvious Jewish flavor serves as the perfect bridge between the old and new testaments, helping people understand Christ in light of the Jewish Scriptures.

Many Christians would like to take the Old Testament - with all it's scary stories and wrathful violence - and just pretend it doesn't exist. Like a creepy uncle or loud-mouthed cousin at a family reunion... some followers of Jesus would much rather ignore the Old Testament than deal with its foreign-ness and difficulties. Let's face it, God the Father doesn't always come across very Christian in the OT, does he?

But Matthew is a Jew from start to finish. And he writes his gospel with an agenda to convince the doubters of his day that Jesus of Nazareth is the real deal. His primary audience is fellow Jews who know their Old Testament better than we could possibly imagine. (They were taught to memorize large portions of the 'Scriptures' at a very young age.) As such, his agenda is twofold. First, preach the gospel (a.k.a., good news) of Jesus Christ passionately and (of course) more or less as events occurred in Matthew's memory. And yet... when a teacher is trying to convince his students to believe in a way that best conveys a point (i.e., a "big idea")... then the way the information is shaped, structured and presented is paramount. Does that make sense to you? For instance, most sermon stories, though fully rooted in truth, are often shared to make a specific (and hopefully interesting) point, rather than to just recall the cold hard "facts" exactly as they happened. I guess you could call it truthful creative license! :-)

Anyway, like his fellow Gospel-writers Mark, Luke and John... Matthew endeavors to tell the truth (and nothing but the truth)... however, he shapes the story in such a way as to fully convince his fellow Jews that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of God. All that to say... Matthew intentionally highlights events in the life of Jesus that best reveal how they "fulfilled" the prophesies of the Old Testament. So the next time you read the Gospel of Matthew, pay attention to the phrase, "So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets" - and perhaps you'll get a better idea of why the Old Testament was so important to him.


I've had dozens of people tell me they don't read the Old Testament because they find it too troubling. My only response to that is that I don't believe a person can ever truly understand the importance of the mission of Jesus apart from reading and experiencing the good, the bad, and the ugly elements of the Jewish Scriptures. Believe it or not... God's grace precedes the life and ministry of Jesus. As Matthew continuously reminds us... the Son of God may be somewhat hidden in those 39 mysterious, troubling, often interesting (and sometimes boring) books... but nevertheless, he can be found in subtle and profound ways if we're willing to spend time and look for him there. Ultimately, I know it's worth the investment... and so did Matthew!

Suspended Animation

This Sunday at The River, we'll take some time to reflect on the events of September 11, 2001 from the perspective of Christian disciples. 

Matthew 5:43-45a says...

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

Ten years. Seems like yesterday, doesn't it?

Where were you when you heard a "small plane" had hit one of the WTC towers? How surreal did it seem when the second commercial jet hit the other tower? Then came the real shocker. To think of all the humanity that was wiped out in a brief few seconds as the first tower came crashing down. Under different circumstances, a thing of beauty and grace. But this event was accompanied by utter death and destruction... violence on a level most of us had ever before personally felt and experienced. All those people inside... dead in the blink of an eye. All those innocent lives. All those heroes. Then the other tower collapsed as well. And the reports of what happened at the Pentagon... and of course the infamous plane crash over Pennsylvania. My God, what had just happened to our safe, relatively peaceful world? How could this be happening to us... one nation under God?

That was the first time in my life I can remember everything stopping. Every person in America was glued to the news of this awful tragedy... this impossible, and disgusting act of war against freedom. No funny chatter on the FM stations... no political ranting on the AM stations... no reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond on the cable channels, or sports footage on ESPN. Nope. Every channel suspended regular programming for CNN news. For a moment in time, everything about typical American culture was on hold. No one cared about the stock market, or what Jennifer Lopez was wearing, or even the weather. Suddenly, our country became smaller, more intimate. Everyone was in shock. Everyone was confused. Everyone was glued to the television to continuously watch the footage of what happened that day... and listened as the newscasters tried to help us make some kind of sense of it all.

None of the nearly 3,000 victims got on a plane that morning - or went to work expecting to be part of a horrendous plot against America. No one had a clue that thousands of people would soon be hurled into a skyscraper... or buried underneath a massive pile of rubble that once was the World Trade Center. None of us had a clue of just how much would life change as a result of that memorable day in America's history. On the positive side, it drew us together as a nation. People in large cities and small towns across the nation mourned for strangers in Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and New York City. All of a sudden, we had something in common like never before (or at least not in our lifetime). On the negative side, our new reality was near strip-searches at the airport, "Terror Alert Orange," Homeland Security, and the image of that evil bastard, Osama bin Laden plastered across the screen of every television in the world... smirking at us infidels in the West.

Now, it's ten years later. Bin Laden is dead, but the war rages on. Many more lives have been lost. I think we should take a few minutes and talk about how 9/11 has changed us, shaped us, and informed our idea of what it means to follow Jesus in a world that is not safe. We have enemies... how does Jesus want us to treat them? How do we interpret patriotism in the light of this American tragedy? What sin must we fight against (as a persecuted country) that seeks to destroy our faith in God? How do we process the anger that accompanies injustice? What can we learn about ourselves in the midst of this awful, ongoing war against terrorism?

I'll come ready to lead a discussion. I hope you'll come ready to engage as a community of people who seek to wrestle with God for answers that satisfy a broken heart... and offer a glimpse of hope for the future.

Double-Sided Coin

Here's what we'll talk about this Sunday, September 4

From the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10 (The Message):

²⁵Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. "Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?"

 ²⁶He answered, "What's written in God's Law? How do you interpret it?"

 ²⁷He said, "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself."

 ²⁸"Good answer!" said Jesus. "Do it and you'll live." 

 Do it and you'll live.

What was the "it" Jesus was referring to again? Oh ya, Love God... and love your neighbor. Let me ask you a question... How well do you think we're living and practicing both sides of that all-important coin?

I mean... I don't know about you, but I find the first part easier than the second part. Worship is easier than mission, right? Do you find it easier to go to church on Sunday... or serve a homeless shelter on Wednesday? Don't get me wrong, it's incredibly difficult to truly love God with any level of consistency. My passion (and obedience) goes up and down like a roller-coaster out of control. Like the Apostle Paul in Romans 7, I don't understand my own motivations sometimes:

I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. 

But Jesus says if I want to live, it's not about focusing on better behavior. It's not about my determination to be a better person. It's not about digging deep down inside myself to find the strength to do good. Nope. It's about (a) looking upward (worship), AND (b) looking outward (mission). Both/and, together... an organic link between the two. We don't get points for doing one really well, and completely neglecting the other. And we certainly don't get points for making it about me, me, me. My piety, my churchiness, my holier-than-thou attitude, my "sacrifice" to read or pray, etc. Hmmm... I think part of what Jesus is saying here is that when we try to earn God points, we don't get the real point of God!

But getting back to the main point (sorry, I can't help using that word)... Somehow, some way... by some supernatural act of the Spirit in and among us... I believe we lazy bums have to wake up and smell the roses. We have to start taking Jesus' words more seriously. We have to get off our collective Christian butts and start participating on the other side of the coin with more consistency. You know... Love your neighbor as yourself. (What would that really look like?)

Let me ask you a question: When is the last time you served God's kingdom? Now, we could justify ourselves and say we are nice to people (gasp, even to sinners!)... or that we already have a role in the church (board member, musician, coffee server, etc.), which counts as "service" to others. But is that really what Jesus meant when He commanded us to love our neighbor? In a world gone completely amuck, is being nice to someone really a profound fulfillment of what Jesus requests (requires?) of us? Or does serving...or giving at a church - important as that may be - really get us off the hook mission-wise? Are we not called to get our hands dirty? Are we not called to "go" into the world? Are we not commanded to be light in the darkness? Are we not called to lift up the oppressed, and feed the hungry, and heal the sick? Are we not called to make a positive difference in our community? In the world in which we live and breathe and work and communicate and interact with broken people?

By all means, we should worship together... as the Church.

By all means, we should serve together... as the Church.

Which is it... heads or tails? Assembly is necessary... but so too is mission, right?

Let's face it: double-sided coins make for good magic tricks. But they aren't real currency.

I don't want to live an empty, meaningless life - too busy or too selfish to serve others. I want to live a full life. A meaningful life.  Eternal life. Don't you?

Are You In Christ?

Text: Romans 8: 1-17, 37-39 (NIV)

So... what does it mean to be in Christ? I mean, the Apostle Paul says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ... and that sounds pretty attractive doesn't it? I don't want to be condemned, do you? No, of course not! But what does it look like to be "in Christ"? Does it mean that somewhere along the line you heard the preacher say Jesus died for your sins, and you have to accept him into your heart to be saved - so you came to the altar and invited him in? Is that it?

But what about an hour later... or a day later, or a week later... or certainly a month later? What happens after the emotional fervor wears off, and you're back to being the jerk you were when you walked into the sanctuary in the first place? What about when you act rudely to the people you (supposedly) love the most? What about when you fly into a rage in traffic when someone has the audacity to commit automotive injustice? What about when you give into temptation?

Are you still "in Christ" at that point? Or has the glory faded? Has the newness worn off? Has reality set in that - you may be saved - but you're still the same old sinner you've always been? 

If, through Jesus the law of the Spirit has indeed set us free from the law of sin and death (v. 2)... then why in blazes do I still so often feel imprisoned in this dark cell made of flesh and bone? 

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. 

Really, Paul? So why do I feel so close to God... so utterly saved at times (so full of God), and yet so completely lost at other times (so devoid of God)? Which is it... does the Spirit of God indeed live in me... or am I on my own in the realm of the flesh?

I guess I'm saying this: I feel as though I have dual citizenship - full access  and privilege in both worlds... that of the flesh and that of the Spirit. But why? How?

I want to live. I want to see. I want to be free. I want to experience ongoing peace. I want to know I'm an adopted child of God who can call out to my Daddy, "Abba!"

Who am I, Lord? Am I a son of Hell, bound for the fire...? Or am I a son of the Almighty, a co-heir with Christ... sharing in his sufferings and in his glory?

You know, when it comes down to it, God knows our hearts. Hes a perfect judge, not bound by systems or principles, or even written codes... the only code he follows is that of divine love, bourne out of His holiness. He knows our secrets, he knows our lies, he knows our regrets, he knows our motivations... he knows every sin we've ever committed. And yet He says over and over again that He loves us... not just like I love movie theater popcorn... no, I mean he loves us more than we could ever, ever begin to imagine! And that he forgives us when we seek it. All it seems to take is a genuine movement toward him as he reaches up for us. And in the midst of that kind of all-encompassing love, I believe God knows how to filter out all the evil deeds of the flesh verses all the righteousness and humility that pours out of a heart that's been captured by Christ.

I may be screwed up a bit... but I'm a disciple of the best rabbi who ever lived... the greatest prophet who ever spoke... the most powerful healer who ever prayed... the most awesome human being who ever got dust on his feet... because he also know what it felt like to have blood run down his face. I'm not just a disciple of Jesus... I'm thoroughly, completely in Christ. In spite of the warts, wrinkles mistakes and stretch marks... God sees me as spotless and blameless sheep thanks to the power of the Cross.

I don't need to worry... and I don't need to feel ashamed. I am part of a family that is called more than conquerors...

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen, Brother Paul. Amen! So, in response to all that, let us live according to the spirit who raises us from death to life.
 

Return of the King

Text relating to this Sunday's sermon at The River: Matthew 24:42-51...

⁴² “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

 ⁴⁵ “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. ⁴⁶ If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. ⁴⁷ I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. ⁴⁸ But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ ⁴⁹ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? ⁵⁰ The master will return unannounced and unexpected, ⁵¹ and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 Keep watch. For you don't know. Be ready. He will come when least expected. 

Hmmmm... seems as though Jesus is trying to tell us something about His second coming in this passage. But what could it be? Is He telling us that we should diligently study our Bibles and try to set the date and time of His return? Is He encouraging us to try to read His Word "between the lines" like a murder mystery novel... attempting to construct a detailed map of what will take place in the end times? Has God - through the biblical writers - left us a treasure map of how and when and where, and by what means He will return in glory? If that is the case, then surely Tim LaHaye has it all figured out, and has passed on his biblical wisdom in his classic novel series, "Left Behind" to us, right? I mean, what mystery...? Just read the books and you'll be so freaked-out by the idea of being left behind as God systematically destroys the earth (and sinners) that OF COURSE you'll want to repent now... so that you'll be raptured with the rest of God's elect in Judgment Day: Part 1. (Part 2 is after he destroys the earth and remakes it... then He comes back to reign and rule).

Nope. Sorry. Don't buy it. Now, the Bible does have some things to say about Jesus coming back. It does have some wild - very mysterious - passages about resurrection and judgment and eternal destiny... but none of them are terribly clear about the details from our earthly perspective.

But doesn't the Bible tell us what we need to know about God, and earth, and people, and salvation, and life, and death, and the afterlife? Yes. Exactly. In fact, precisely what we NEED to know... but not much of what we WANT or DEMAND to know about the age to come.

Then what should we do? Okay... now THAT Jesus made abundantly clear over and over again throughout the Gospels... and so did the other New Testament writers: Are you ready for the big secret? Okay, here it is:

Be ready.

That's it. Be ready. Live your life as though Jesus were returning soon. Don't be caught off guard. Don't push Jesus to the margins of your life. If you believe, don't live as though you don't. Don't be lazy. Don't give in to evil. Don't be stupid. (Okay... I ad-libbed that last one... Jesus never said that to my knowledge!) But here's what I'm getting at: God knows you inside and out, right? He knows what you do, what you think... He knows your motives, and knows your deepest fears and hopes and dreams and passions. He is intimately interested in you.. little 'ole you, and everyone else on this planet. So let Him in to the deep recesses of your being. Let Him guide you, and strengthen you... heck, let Christ DEFINE you. And when that beautiful divine/human encounter takes root and fully germinates in your heart... don't spend your time trying to figure out when (and how) He's coming back... just simply LIVE as though it were today! Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness... let God send you... and do with your life what He wills!

Dude (I mean that generically)... He doesn't want to magically remove His people from this world so He can destroy it. For goodness sake, He strategically placed you and me in this world so we can join Him in redeeming it for His kingdom purposes! I've got some news for you (in fact, Good News!) - at the "end" of time... God has plans for those in Christ... and for planet earth. On that day when Christ returns, there will be resurrection... and there will be judgment. And it whatever way He plans to do it... Jesus will bring His Kingdom fully and completely to earth... and those in Christ will dwell with Him in glory. Wow! So let's do ourselves a favor... let's keep it simple:

Keep watch. For you don't know. Be ready. He will come when least expected.