Family Tradition

SUMMER SERMON SERIES: SCHOOL OF COUNTRY

Text for this week's sermon/conversation at The River:  Luke 14:25-35 (NLT)

Hank Williams Jr:  "I am very proud of my daddy's name, although his kinda music and mine ain't exactly the same. Stop and think it over, put yourself in my position. If I get stoned and sing all night long, it's a family tradition."

Jesus of Nazareth:  “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple."

Hmmmm... so here's a question: What does it mean to be a "Christian" anyway? Is it merely a matter of coming to a place of emotional meltdown... whereas you want to give your life to Jesus, so you fall on your knees and ask for forgiveness - and subsequently ask him to take residence in your heart?  Or does it mean that your life radically changes forever... whereas your priorities are turned upside down, and all of your presuppositions are challenged in light of what the Bible has to say?

Yes... exactly.

Becoming a Christian is an event which can often happen in a specific moment... when a person becomes acutely aware of the totality and heaviness of his or her sins - and desperately seeks to live in alignment with the teachings and promises of Jesus Christ.  In a terrifyingly beautiful intersection of human despair and divine peace that passes all human understanding, a person becomes simultaneously emptied and filled in a profound way that defies accurate description. And yet...

Becoming a Christian is a process that lasts an entire lifetime. On this side of heaven, authentic followers of Christ have the awesome (and divine) empowerment of the Spirit of God to develop and grow in our spiritual depth and maturity (holiness). As we read the Word, serve others, and participate in the fullness of the community of Christ, we have the awesome potential to become more and more like Jesus of Nazareth. Over and over we are challenged to forsake our old lives and submit ourselves more completely to the will of God. So, as we learn to trust in His character, therefore continuing on a journey of faith in the path of holiness - He firmly but lovingly molds us and shapes us more and more into the very image of Yahweh, our Creator.

Confused yet?

Let me put this all in a different way. If your old network of relationships (including your family) does not somehow develop and nurture your faith in God and His kingdom - then frankly, you need to establish a new network.

Actually, I don't think it's about your relationships per se... but about the priorities (and influences) in your life. Are your eyes firmly fixed on the kingdom of God... or on things (and people) of this earth? If your ties to your family or friends suck you downward and encourages godless behavior... then perhaps you need to cut your ties completely. Either that, or you need to tell them the good news (even if it means persecution). Ya, it's harsh, I know. But God does not sugar coat this issue whatsoever. In this passage, Jesus in a very in-your-face manner challenges us to ask ourselves: are we really willing to do whatever it takes to demonstrate God is the center of our life, rather than people or things? Would you be willing to abandon anything and everything if He asked you to do so? Or would you rather follow a long-held family tradition of embracing the hollowness of this world... and consequently rejecting the holiness of God?

"So don't ask me Hank, why do you drink? Hank, why do you roll smoke? Why must you live out the songs you wrote? Stop and think it over. Try and put yourself in my unique position. If I get stoned and sing all night long, it's a family tradition!"

So, Christian... which do you love more... (family) tradition or true discipleship?

Crazy

Text for this Sunday's sermon/conversation at The River: Psalm 78 (The Message)

"Crazy, for thinkin' that my love could hold you,
I'm crazy for tryin, and crazy for cryin
And I'm crazy for lovin' you....."


Why does God love us? I mean... really? What have I done to deserve a relationship of love with him? What have you done?


Well... speaking for myself... nothing, nada, zip, zilch.


I want to repay him (or at least give myself to him) for creating me... nurturing me... watching over me... caring for me... saving me... extending mercy to me... being patient with me... giving me a future that transcends life on earth.


But two problems: (1) I can't... and, (2) Essentially, I'm a selfish fool - a spiritual prostitute who stupidly turns my back on God as often, and as furiously, as the wind blows in Ellensburg. And you, my friend, are not likely any different!


And yet he loves me. And he loves you... in spite of some major character flaws we inherited from Adam. God loves us profoundly (and inexplicably)... and what do we do? We return that love with a level of mistrust that would border on comical... were it not so tragic. So, why is God so crazy about us? And why oh why are we so stiff-necked, short-sided and self-consumed?


The story of Israel in the desert is the story of a passionate, patient, yet jealous and sometimes wrathful God who is enormously frustrated with his chosen people's unwillingness and/or inability to simply love the One True God. Instead they continually turn to stupid, lifeless, false gods they form together with their own hands. Over and over, God became frustrated and angry at his people's faithlessness and threatened to wipe them out... then relented and extended forgiveness and grace instead. Why? Why not just wipe them out and start all over again?


He gives and gives... and we take and take. 


My conclusion: He's crazy. Crazy about us. Crazy for loving us... knowing we have no capacity to reciprocate... crazy for believing in us for no logical reason... crazy for having faith in a creature that shows no willingness to put their faith in their Creator.


Eventually, he did what any slightly insane, illogical, passionate, loving being would do... he lowered himself down and did what we couldn't raise ourselves up to do...


He gave up everything for you and me... became poor so we might become rich.


I tell you, he's crazy. Are we?

BLT

Text: Acts 10


Just when I think I know what it means to follow Christ, God throws me a curve ball as if to say, "You're far from finished, Jeff. There's so much more about me that you need to learn."


When I was a new Christian, life was good and fairly simple. I consumed myself with Christian radio, especially talk radio where I could hear sermon after sermon about living the Christian life. The Bible held all the answers to life... and where I couldn't understand it, I had the resource of some masterful teachers who gave me great insight as to what God's Word is all about. Sure, there were difficult things in the Bible that were hard to understand... but by and large, answers to every question in life are contained between those beautiful pages.


Then I went to seminary... and one by one, many of my "safe" presuppositions about what the Bible is, and how it transforms the human heart were kicked out from under me. Don't worry... I'm not a Bible basher... in fact, just the opposite. Anyone who's ever been to The River will tell you that I'm huge on getting people to read large portions of the Bible. I may have changed my thoughts about how God intended us to interact with the Scriptures... but nevertheless, my passion remains. In fact, I would definitely say it's grown deeper and deeper as I've allowed my entire self to be studied and interpreted by the words of God, rather than merely being the study-er that stands over the Scriptures in a purely intellectual pursuit.


I wonder if that's how Peter felt after his crazy dream about eating non-kosher food. Here he was, a good Jewish man who was raised to believe the Jewish Law is the absolute and final word on religion... only to meet Jesus the Messiah who turned his Old Testament beliefs about God's Son upside down. Then, when he gets over that hurdle, God hits him with another challenge to his system of belief: God is not limited to saving the Jews only... that is, any more than Jews are limited to eating food that is "clean" according to the Law of Moses.


What? Didn't God give Moses the Law? Wasn't it Yahweh who mandated that Jews cannot eat pork? Why the change of heart? How are we supposed to just let go of what we deeply believe as biblical truth, when God commands us to break His very rules?


Now let's bring it in to our context... what would you say are the prototypical sinful behaviors listed in the Bible that are absolutely wrong according to God? Of those, which ones seem to be getting violated by people in this world on a daily basis? What I mean is... which of the sins listed in the Bible has the world tried to condone and show tolerance toward?


Got one in mind...? Good. Now here's the follow-up question: What should our response as God's children be to those 'sinners?' Shall we stone them? Shall we shout them down? Shall we curse them? Shall we haul them off to court? Shall we make jokes about them? Shall we make them feel less than human?


Perhaps we should say it's not really sin. Perhaps we should distort God's Word to placate our cultural difficulties? Perhaps we should appoint these people as leaders of our churches? Perhaps we should pretend that sin is not sin? Perhaps we should just look the other way so the world won't hate us anymore.


Hmmmm... then again, perhaps we should love them the way Christ loves us. 


The question is... how?

Blinded by the Light

Text for this Sunday's sermon/conversation at The River: Acts 9:1-31


He was just minding his own business. Actually, he was tending to business... on his way to Damascus to arrest those filthy, stinkin' followers of the Way, a.k.a., disciples of Jesus Christ. But something happened to Saul the Pharisee on that fateful day somewhere outside of the city. He encountered the living, breathing, utterly powerful, and not-so-subtle - resurrected Lord.


He was so positive he worked for God... he was so absolutely certain Jesus was a fake Messiah, and his followers were either mindless losers, or elaborate liars. Either way, they deserved death for perpetrating the message that Jesus, son of a common carpenter - and executed like any common thief - was the Son of God who would deliver Israel from her oppressors.


But they were right. All those people he had arrested... all those families whose lives were interrupted... all the pain Saul the Pharisee had caused the Christians... and they had been right all along!  Oh, God... what had he done?  More importantly perhaps... what could he now do to serve Jesus, the One he had so violently persecuted for so very long? How could he serve God... and this time, in the right manner? He would do anything, go anywhere, tell anyone, endure any hardship... he would die in order to share the Good News that Jesus Christ is not only alive - He is the Lord who forgives and restores and transforms anyone... EVERYONE who comes to the end of themselves and cries out to God for deliverance.


The story tells us that Saul was blinded that day... but we know better don't we? We know that, though his physical eyes might have been blinded... Saul's spiritual eyes were opened... and his life was thoroughly, irreversibly, violently, and beautifully re-directed. Once he was baptized and given food and water... Saul set out to become the world's best known missionary and church planter... and ended up writing letters to the churches that became more than 40% of what we know as the New Testament.

They were caught off guard by this and, not at all sure they could trust him, they kept saying, "Isn't this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn't he come here to do the same thing—arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem for sentencing by the high priests?"

But their suspicions didn't slow Saul down for even a minute. His momentum was up now and he plowed straight into the opposition, disarming the Damascus Jews and trying to show them that this Jesus was the Messiah.

Oh, Lord... I want to be like Saul the Pharisee... who's identity was changed to Paul the Apostle (and passionate follower of the Way). I want to be as zealous as Paul... I want to be as willing to embrace suffering... I want to trust You with all that I am... I want to obey you, even if it means dying for your cause. Amen.


Wait, wait, wait... I need to clarify: I said I want to be like that... but I'm not exactly certain I have arrived there yet... perhaps I'm still waiting for the scales to fall off my eyes? Geez, He sure does want a lot from us, doesn't he? 


So... assuming you're a disciple... what has following Jesus cost you?

The Middle of Nowhere

Acts 8:26-40


This passage is cool. I like it for a lot of reasons.


In Acts 1, the disciples asked Jesus, '"Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?"


 ^7-8He told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world."'


Over the next seven chapters of Acts, the Church was born in Jerusalem... and it prospered mightily. But then Stephen was stoned to death and that set off a persecution of Christians that caused the Church to scatter. To where, you ask, did it scatter? Well, first to Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1-25)... and then to the ends of the earth (the passage we're focusing on). In the view of first-century Jews, Greeks and Romans, Ethiopians lived literally at the southern edge of the earth... a.k.a., the ends of the world.


God wants us to preach the good news in our local context, but He never intends it to stay there. We are called to tell the whole world about salvation through Christ. But I think this text teaches us a lot about where we are to go, who we preach to... and how we are to be witness of our faith.


Where are we to go? Do we just pray for God's guidance and blindly, randomly place our finger on a globe... ready to go be missionaries for God wherever it lands? Of course not! God is not an impersonal being... He is clear and concise about when and where He calls us to go. The question is... are we willing to listen for His voice? And the follow-up question is... what is our answer when He calls? Philip clearly heard God's instruction to go out into the desert... basically out in the middle of nowhere... at midday when the heat is intense. Did it make sense to Philip? Probably not... but nevertheless, immediately he left a thriving ministry in Samaria and headed out to God-only-knows-where. What would your answer be if God told you to leave the city and start walking toward a hot, barren wasteland, with no further instructions? Would you start walking... or argue a little?


Who do we preach to? Do we stand on the street and wear a sandwich board that proclaims, "Repent or Die!"?? No, not unless we love to confirm what people already think of Christians in general... (wackos!). I am of the firm belief that we are not to try and shove Jesus down anyone's throat or "sell" anything... instead we are to wait on God and be ready to "give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). Where do we get the idea that our job is to - apart from specific instructions from God and/or spending time building relationships of trust - force feed unbelievers the story of Jesus (and warn of His coming wrath)? God tells us where... and He always tell us when.


How do we be witnesses? First things first... LISTEN! Don't talk... don't sell... don't try to formulate your uber-intellectual answer while they're talking to you... just shut up and listen to what they have to say. No really... shut up and listen! From there, ask yourself if they seem hungry for something better out of life than what they have experienced so far. Some people resist God because they've never had it presented in love and respect... but when their views are heard... it becomes clear they want more out of life. For those with ears to hear... the "more" is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that begins the healing process of their brokenness. For those who are not hungry... not seeking... not ready to experience radical transformation of the heart and mind... I promise you, they're not ready to hear the gospel. Oh, they may want to discuss it and debate it ad nauseam... but they don't want to let it soak in to their soul and breathe new life into spiritual death. 


The best part of all this is that a believer doesn't have to be a scholar to be a witness... he or she just has to have a story... a testimony of how God has radically gotten ahold of them. "I was blind, but now I see." 


How's your vision these days?

Potholes & Speed Bumps

Text for this Sunday's sermon/discussion: Acts 6:8-7:60

I hated driving in Missouri. The roads there are horrible... full of potholes and cracks everywhere. The highway near the seminary I used to attend was so bad people would sometimes swerve wildly to try to avoid some of the seemingly car-sized sinkholes in the road! I don't know what was worse... trying not to hit other cars, or trying not to hit those nasty potholes that seek to destroy front-end alignments. And the signage... oh my goodness, the folks at Missouri DOT ought to be drawn and quartered for their highway-communication ineptness!


But I digress... I only meant to discuss the frustration of potholes (and let's face it, speed bumps suck too)! Driving on an American highway (even in MO) ought not to be eerily reminiscent of a navigating a Humvee down a transport roadway in Iraq - complete with holes blown in the pavement, and life-threatening mines set in place by the enemy. Okay... that's an overstatement, but nevertheless, it ain't too fun driving in Missouri. Sorry MO residents... but you need some seriously better pavement, at least in the Kansas City area! For Western US folks, I think the closest parallel is probably driving in Idaho... yikes!


Anyway... so why did Stephen - undoubtedly knowing he was going to be killed - preach such an in-your-face sermon to the religious elite? What is the point of giving the High Council a lesson on Jewish history... only to (righteously) twist it at the end to drive home the fact they killed the Christ? Why get killed for other people's stupidity and violent nature?


'Cause that's what God wanted from him. Stephen became the first of a long, long line of disciples of Jesus who were martyred for their belief... and for being unapologetically outspoken. Geez... speaking of mine fields... Stephen placed his head right into the jaws of an angry alligator and dared it to clamp down. And it did.


But again... I digress. Why the history lesson? Why the recounting stories of the ancient forefathers such as Abraham, and Moses, and David? What's the point of it all? Was he just showing off his wealth of knowledge... hoping they would be impressed? Was he nervous, and everything just sort of gushed out in a state of panic? Was he out of his mind?


Nah... God was using Stephen to be a human speed bump (giving warning) while simultaneously warning the Jews about all the potholes (revealing sin) along the highway of Judaism. 


Much as we hate them, God places speed bumps in our path to protect us from ourselves and from the enemy. But potholes are much worse than speed bumps. Potholes aren't carefully placed for our protection... they're randomly (and depending on the state in which you drive) frequently scattered everywhere along the highway of life. We hate potholes... some are just harmless cracks, but some are frighteningly huge gaping holes in the pavement that can cause severe damage.


God absolutely hates potholes too. In fact, he wants to fill them (permanently)... but far too often we either (a) do nothing... simply trying to avoid the potholes as they continuously get more and more life-threatening. Or, we (b) try to fill the potholes ourselves... using various forms of "religious" activity to try and fill the ever-widening void.


I honestly don't know which is worse, swerving to avoid potholes... even though they continue to grow... or trying to fill them with useless things (like rocks)... getting frustrated at God when they fall out and create a bigger (more dangerous) mess than when we started...


What do you think?

Imagine No Religion

Text for this Sunday's sermon/conversation: Acts 3:1-4:22

I think religion sucks... at least dead religion. But man, it's pandemic around here. Can you imagine no dead religion in God's Church?


God is the living, breathing Creator of life... He is spirit, and - by extension - we too are spiritual beings. Humans are made in God's image... and the primary thing that sets us apart from all the other animals that dwell on this earth is our ability to create beautiful things. Oh, we can teach chimps to use sign language. Whoopty-doo. Can we teach them to engineer a bridge...? or compose a musical score...? or draft a speech like Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream"...? or paint something hauntingly beautiful like the Mona Lisa? Nope. Mind you, most of us can't do those things either, but all people possess a creative quality that transcends all other species... period. Humanity is special... unique... specially gifted with the ability to imagine and forecast, and ponder, and dream, and visualize something that goes beyond our ability to see with physical eyes.


But when it comes to faith in Jesus Christ... we so easily get stuck in a rut of religiousity. Rather than beauty and passion, our relationship with the One who loves us is often marked by laziness and mediocrity. Rather than living out the life of Christ with zest and gusto... most of us are merely trying to survive the perils of this world. Rather than being in a constant state of awe that sets our hearts on fire... many so-called Christians treat the gospel like its a burden to carry, or a secret to hide. So many of us find ourselves going through the motions with no real sense of trust that God wants to use His Church to turn the world upside down.


Why? Why are we so determined to keep God at arm's length? Why are we so utterly good at holding our Creator in contempt? Why do we continue to wear masks of hypocrisy, even while knowing it breaks the heart of God? He wants all to come to Him... but not halfway... half-baked... half-hearted... half assed. He wants to reconcile this world to Himself... through us - His ambassadors. But how is that supposed to happen if we don't really believe He's capable?


Peter and John believed Jesus is capable. In fact, they were so convinced He can heal the sick, they touched a beggar who couldn't walk... and God instantly gave him the strength to get up and leap for joy! Funny... but the Bible doesn't say it was his faith that did it. Nope... it was Peter and John's faith that God is powerfully at work through those who believe in Him that healed the guy. Do we have that same belief about God? In the midst of a spiritually crippled world... do we really believe that God can radically change lives for the better? For that matter... do we even believe He can change our lives for the better?


Peter and John not only believed it enough to act by faith... they also told the world about Jesus Christ... regardless of what it might cost them personally. Standing there on the street corner... infused with confidence after watching God perform a miracle in their midst... Peter stood up and boldly announced to anyone who would listen that Jesus is Lord. The same man who denied he knew Christ at one time was now truly willing to live (and die) for His Savior. Peter and John knew it was going to cost them, but they actually dared to believe that God would remain with them... and reveal His glory... regardless of the circumstances they found themselves in. Are we willing to share our faith so boldly... even in the face of persecution?


And when they stood before the Jewish council to answer for their "crimes," Peter and John made no apology for their passionate exaltations... in fact, they completely rejected the threats of punishment as nothing more than a bunch of hot air by mere men. They simply didn't care what the council of rulers and elders and teachers thought, or threatened to do. Their lives had been radically transformed by the One who died and was raised again as Lord and Master... so Peter and John weren't going to let some puffed-up religious bullies try to stifle them from shouting God's glory from the rooftops! Peter and John weren't religious, per se. Nope... God revealed Himself to those two men so clearly... so powerfully... so authentically... that they had something far more than a system of religion... they oozed with eternal life born out by God's Holy Spirit! So how about us? Do we ooze with eternal life too? If not... then why the heck not?


That's what I want for me... for my family... for my church... for my denomination... and for my Christian brothers and sisters in this cold, dark world - that we would stop playing religious games, and get serious about being true disciples of Jesus Christ. He doesn't want our dead religion, people... He wants our heart and soul and mind and strength... He wants ALL of us to be always engaged with His Word, His Spirit, His will, and His love. He wants us - His children - to be the creative, passionate, audacious, fearless, kick-ass disciples of Christ we were intended to be... we were re-born to be! Are you ready to change the world yet? Are you ready to stop playing religious games and start healing the spiritually (and physically) sick in Jesus' name? Then c'mon... let's get off our spiritual butts and live as if we believe it!