"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven." (Matt. 5:20)
Religious acts of righteousness may be more an addiction to morality and pride than they are actual kingdom building. Jesus told the Pharisees their righteousness was missing the point (Matthew 23:23). We are condemned by the law, not saved by it. The gospel proclaims a new order- that we are saved not by works but by grace. Our works do not save us, they reveal us. The fruit does not give the tree life, it reveals what kind of tree it is. God told the church in Laodicia, I would rather you be hot or cold, if you are luke-warm, I will spew you out of my mouth! (Revelation 3:15).
There is nothing worse than false religion that lures a person away from authenticity and enables hiddenness. This form of idolotry is the antithesis to the gospel. It inoculates people to the truth.
Religion is the invention of the devil. The world has taken out the patent. We humans have mortgaged our souls to the product, and think we have gotten a good deal. Religion is the most dangerous energy source known to humankind. (Lawrence Crabb).
Discipleship that leads to spiritual maturity is never accomplished in hiddenness, but church life without kingdom life can become an environment where mask wearing is the accepted norm.
It is a strange thing in a religious environment, that we can learn the language, the culture and the social norms, and unless there are specific challenges to our developing status quo, we can do all the right stuff to pass as a dedicated church member, and at the same time live in such hiddeness that although we may be in spiritual darkness, no one around us has the least suspicion.
So, every now and then, a couple at church blows up their marriage and everyone is shocked. "I didn't know they were having problems!" people will say. Someone commits suicide and no one who attends their Sunday School knew the depth of their struggle. A man wrecks his family because of some addiction and not a single person who goes to church with him has a clue about what is really going on in his life.
We are dreaming of a church in which this is not the norm. We dream of dynamic community where masks come off and life change is normative and mission is focused. We are dreaming of a church that is serious about kingdom building priorities and that wholly rejects the bland emptiness of churchiosity that can lead to empty religion and practical atheism.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
the end of boredom
I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."(Romans 1:14-17)
The center of the church’s purpose is the gospel. The way you view the meaning of the gospel in this context will affect the way you view the meaning and the mission of the church. C.S. Lewis makes the point in his book “Mere Christianity” that the essence of Christianity is to be drawn “into Christ” and that the purpose of His church is to help people live lives that are “in Christ”.
“The church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself are simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose. It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose!” (C.S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity”)
But is this our experience with the church? Let’s be real- people can come to a church building week after week, year after year, and be perfectly comfortable and feel completely satisfied with living in spiritual mediocrity. In fact, when the church stops becoming a kingdom building movement it actually perpetuates this kind of mediocrity. “Churchiosity” is not a guarantee of life in Christ.
The journey Christ calls us to is nothing short of radical kingdom building and a world changing mission. To be in Christ is the end of boredom. We all have a mission! We are all involved in building the kingdom. The role of the missionary is not just a mission in some remote country in another part of the world, but of reaching people in our own mission field. In the one we enter every morning; in our neighborhoods, businesses and schools. He has called us to be salt and light, to be witnesses to our Jerusalem (where we are) as well as Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:7). He has called us to live lives that have eternal impact, that altar lives and change communities. Our mission at CRBC involves two significant and purposeful strategies; 1) Loving all people to Christ and 2) Helping them on their journey.
The center of the church’s purpose is the gospel. The way you view the meaning of the gospel in this context will affect the way you view the meaning and the mission of the church. C.S. Lewis makes the point in his book “Mere Christianity” that the essence of Christianity is to be drawn “into Christ” and that the purpose of His church is to help people live lives that are “in Christ”.
“The church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself are simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose. It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose!” (C.S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity”)
But is this our experience with the church? Let’s be real- people can come to a church building week after week, year after year, and be perfectly comfortable and feel completely satisfied with living in spiritual mediocrity. In fact, when the church stops becoming a kingdom building movement it actually perpetuates this kind of mediocrity. “Churchiosity” is not a guarantee of life in Christ.
The journey Christ calls us to is nothing short of radical kingdom building and a world changing mission. To be in Christ is the end of boredom. We all have a mission! We are all involved in building the kingdom. The role of the missionary is not just a mission in some remote country in another part of the world, but of reaching people in our own mission field. In the one we enter every morning; in our neighborhoods, businesses and schools. He has called us to be salt and light, to be witnesses to our Jerusalem (where we are) as well as Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:7). He has called us to live lives that have eternal impact, that altar lives and change communities. Our mission at CRBC involves two significant and purposeful strategies; 1) Loving all people to Christ and 2) Helping them on their journey.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
the present and future reality of the kingdom of God
Life in Christ is a journey, not merely an event or destination. Christ came to set us free from our sin; but in the bigger context, He came to welcome us into a new kind of life, a “kingdom building” life.
The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I have come that you might have life to the fullest (John 10:10).
Jesus clearly teaches that He has come to change our situation not just at some time in the future, but starting right now: "I have come that you might HAVE life" (present tense). That you might live the very best life possible... starting today. Not "I have come that you merely can escape hell at some point in the future," but that your life will be above the norm, that it will be transforming and the transformation will start right away. Christianity is not just about going to Heaven when you die!
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me HAS eternal life and is not condemned. (John 5:24)
The gospel is not merely a "get out of hell free card." This kind of misunderstanding can lead to disappointment in the Christian experience and even legalism and spiritual bondage. It is not just about standing before God some day, but about a lifelong walk influenced by the rule of Christ that culminates into an eternal reality from the day you receive Him into your life. Eternal life and the Kingdom of God are both a present reality.
I can't emphasize this point too strongly- your Christian life is not just an event or a destination- it is a lifelong journey that begins now and moves on into eternity. It is a present reality AND a future destination.
Consider how the wrong kind of thinking cheapens the Christian experience Christ intends for us. Jesus came proclaiming the "gospel," that is to say, the "good news." And what was that "good news"?
Read the following scriptures carefully:
"The time has come," He said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15 NIV)
After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, (Luke 8:1 NIV)
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, {2} and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. (Luke 9:1-2 NIV)
After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3 NIV)
Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 28:31 NIV)
It is clear that when Jesus talked about the gospel, he was talking about the Kingdom of God. What is the Kingdom of God? It is where the King reigns. It is BOTH a future and present reality as long as that rule is in place. It is that place that God reigns in my present reality as much as it is a description of heaven where God’s uninterrupted rule in my life will be a future reality. It is a right now/not yet tension between this present age and the age to come.
So, when Jesus talked about the "good news," He was not just talking a bridge to heaven as much as He was bringing us the message that God wants to put people on an awesome journey that will put us in touch with eternity, and that He has brought this to bear by saying in effect, "I have got good news for you and the good news is that the kingdom of God is available to you right now!"
The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I have come that you might have life to the fullest (John 10:10).
Jesus clearly teaches that He has come to change our situation not just at some time in the future, but starting right now: "I have come that you might HAVE life" (present tense). That you might live the very best life possible... starting today. Not "I have come that you merely can escape hell at some point in the future," but that your life will be above the norm, that it will be transforming and the transformation will start right away. Christianity is not just about going to Heaven when you die!
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me HAS eternal life and is not condemned. (John 5:24)
The gospel is not merely a "get out of hell free card." This kind of misunderstanding can lead to disappointment in the Christian experience and even legalism and spiritual bondage. It is not just about standing before God some day, but about a lifelong walk influenced by the rule of Christ that culminates into an eternal reality from the day you receive Him into your life. Eternal life and the Kingdom of God are both a present reality.
I can't emphasize this point too strongly- your Christian life is not just an event or a destination- it is a lifelong journey that begins now and moves on into eternity. It is a present reality AND a future destination.
Consider how the wrong kind of thinking cheapens the Christian experience Christ intends for us. Jesus came proclaiming the "gospel," that is to say, the "good news." And what was that "good news"?
Read the following scriptures carefully:
"The time has come," He said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15 NIV)
After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, (Luke 8:1 NIV)
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, {2} and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. (Luke 9:1-2 NIV)
After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3 NIV)
Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 28:31 NIV)
It is clear that when Jesus talked about the gospel, he was talking about the Kingdom of God. What is the Kingdom of God? It is where the King reigns. It is BOTH a future and present reality as long as that rule is in place. It is that place that God reigns in my present reality as much as it is a description of heaven where God’s uninterrupted rule in my life will be a future reality. It is a right now/not yet tension between this present age and the age to come.
So, when Jesus talked about the "good news," He was not just talking a bridge to heaven as much as He was bringing us the message that God wants to put people on an awesome journey that will put us in touch with eternity, and that He has brought this to bear by saying in effect, "I have got good news for you and the good news is that the kingdom of God is available to you right now!"
Friday, August 11, 2006
why church membership?
When a person comes to faith in Christ, he immediately enters into the "invisible church". This is the church that only God sees and knows. J.I. Packer states plainly,
"Invisible means, not that we can see no sign of its presence, but that we cannot know (as God, the heart-reader, knows, 2 Tim. 2:19) which of those baptized, professing members of the church as an organized institution are inwardly regenerate and thus belong to the church as a spiritual fellowship of sinners loving their Savior"
But why is it necessary to join the local, visible church? Some will say that this is not necessary in light of our membership into the universal Body of Christ. In this post, I seek to remove this obstacle to what I believe is a very important step in obedience.
Ten reasons:
1. Scripture teaches that not only are we to be members of the invisible church (past, present and future) upon our salvation, but we are also to identify ourselves with other believers in physical assembly (Hebrews 10:23-25) and in that assembly we are to "hold fast" to our public commitment WITH other believers. "Let us, without ever wavering, keep on holding to the hope that we profess" (Williams). The plain teaching here is that we, as the physical visible church must "spur one another on" in our faith. The Bible does not contemplate a faith lived in aloneness, but one that is committed to others as we are committed to Christ.
2. Although scripture does not specifically teach that a person should join a local church, it is apparent that scripture assumes that if one is a Christian, they are a member of a local church. As an example, in his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul teaches the exclusion of a member of that church. Exclusion from a church presupposes inclusion:
You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midstÂ….Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificedÂ… I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or witidolatorsrs, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or aidolatorer, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler - not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves (1Cor 5:2, 7, 12-13).
One cannot be excluded from something that he was never included in.
3. In 2 Cor. 2:6-7, Paul talks about "the majority" which implies that there was a definite number of those who were identified with the local, physical church in Corinth. 6The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. 7Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
4. The local churches in Paul's day apparently kept a list of widows. It would be impossible for the churches we learn about in the New Testament to distinguish between leadership, new believers and widows and orphans in need if there was no system of accounting (1 Timothy 5:9).
5. God keeps a list of the true members of the visible AND invisible church. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life (Phil 4:3). And nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into [the New Jerusalem], but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life (Rev 21:27).
6. Local church membership is the public endorsement of a body of believers of a person's salvation and forward movement in discipleship. Jesus taught the church is to "make disciples", the first step of which is baptism. New believers need nurture, care and discipline that is provided for in the local assembly of believers. In scripture, the assembly (ecclesia) was established as a community of faith both in the old and new testaments in which specific responsibilities of spiritual community and discipline are spelled out. Scripture, in other words, does not contemplate spiritual aloneness.
7. Scripture teaches that the church is the "Bride of Christ". It is understood that this in the fullest sense represents the universal church past present and future as stated in the book of Revelation. But there is a specific application to the local church in Ephesians 5, as Paul is writing to a local physical body. This relationship implies commitment and identity as a Bride identifies with her husband in a covenant relationship, binding herself to Him and taking His name. As there is a local physical understanding of this metaphor used is scripture, logic would say, "if I love Christ, I will love His bride!"
8. The Church in the New Testament is reflected by the nation of Israel in the Old. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with Gods people and members of Gods household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Eph. 2:19-22 ) As such, the Old Testament priests, sacrifices, and sanctuary are superseded by the mediation of Jesus, the crucified, risen, and reigning God-man (Heb. 1-10), in whom believers now find their identity as the seed of Abraham and the people of God (Gal. 3:29; 1 Pet. 2:4-10). The word "assembly", translated "ecclesia" in the Septuagent is found throughout the Old Testament and identifies the gathering of the people of God in worship and spiritual community. The disciples identified the church in this same way, and as such saw themselves as the physical gathering of a people identified with each other and responsible together to live out their faith as a people of God. There is great power in the words, "a people belonging to God". Membership is the language of belonging.
9. The Bible commands that we submit ourselves to spiritual authority. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves (Hebrews 13:17). One who does not commit to the local Body in membership has in affect said, "I will not submit myself to any authority".
10. I will let Packer make the final point: The New Testament assumes that all Christians will share in the life of a local church, meeting with it for worship (Heb. 10:25), accepting its nurture and discipline (Matt. 18:15-20; Gal. 6:1), and sharing in its work of witness. Christians disobey God and impoverish themselves by refusing to join with other believers when there is a local congregation that they can belong to.
"Invisible means, not that we can see no sign of its presence, but that we cannot know (as God, the heart-reader, knows, 2 Tim. 2:19) which of those baptized, professing members of the church as an organized institution are inwardly regenerate and thus belong to the church as a spiritual fellowship of sinners loving their Savior"
But why is it necessary to join the local, visible church? Some will say that this is not necessary in light of our membership into the universal Body of Christ. In this post, I seek to remove this obstacle to what I believe is a very important step in obedience.
Ten reasons:
1. Scripture teaches that not only are we to be members of the invisible church (past, present and future) upon our salvation, but we are also to identify ourselves with other believers in physical assembly (Hebrews 10:23-25) and in that assembly we are to "hold fast" to our public commitment WITH other believers. "Let us, without ever wavering, keep on holding to the hope that we profess" (Williams). The plain teaching here is that we, as the physical visible church must "spur one another on" in our faith. The Bible does not contemplate a faith lived in aloneness, but one that is committed to others as we are committed to Christ.
2. Although scripture does not specifically teach that a person should join a local church, it is apparent that scripture assumes that if one is a Christian, they are a member of a local church. As an example, in his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul teaches the exclusion of a member of that church. Exclusion from a church presupposes inclusion:
You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midstÂ….Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificedÂ… I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or witidolatorsrs, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or aidolatorer, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler - not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves (1Cor 5:2, 7, 12-13).
One cannot be excluded from something that he was never included in.
3. In 2 Cor. 2:6-7, Paul talks about "the majority" which implies that there was a definite number of those who were identified with the local, physical church in Corinth. 6The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. 7Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
4. The local churches in Paul's day apparently kept a list of widows. It would be impossible for the churches we learn about in the New Testament to distinguish between leadership, new believers and widows and orphans in need if there was no system of accounting (1 Timothy 5:9).
5. God keeps a list of the true members of the visible AND invisible church. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life (Phil 4:3). And nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into [the New Jerusalem], but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life (Rev 21:27).
6. Local church membership is the public endorsement of a body of believers of a person's salvation and forward movement in discipleship. Jesus taught the church is to "make disciples", the first step of which is baptism. New believers need nurture, care and discipline that is provided for in the local assembly of believers. In scripture, the assembly (ecclesia) was established as a community of faith both in the old and new testaments in which specific responsibilities of spiritual community and discipline are spelled out. Scripture, in other words, does not contemplate spiritual aloneness.
7. Scripture teaches that the church is the "Bride of Christ". It is understood that this in the fullest sense represents the universal church past present and future as stated in the book of Revelation. But there is a specific application to the local church in Ephesians 5, as Paul is writing to a local physical body. This relationship implies commitment and identity as a Bride identifies with her husband in a covenant relationship, binding herself to Him and taking His name. As there is a local physical understanding of this metaphor used is scripture, logic would say, "if I love Christ, I will love His bride!"
8. The Church in the New Testament is reflected by the nation of Israel in the Old. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with Gods people and members of Gods household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Eph. 2:19-22 ) As such, the Old Testament priests, sacrifices, and sanctuary are superseded by the mediation of Jesus, the crucified, risen, and reigning God-man (Heb. 1-10), in whom believers now find their identity as the seed of Abraham and the people of God (Gal. 3:29; 1 Pet. 2:4-10). The word "assembly", translated "ecclesia" in the Septuagent is found throughout the Old Testament and identifies the gathering of the people of God in worship and spiritual community. The disciples identified the church in this same way, and as such saw themselves as the physical gathering of a people identified with each other and responsible together to live out their faith as a people of God. There is great power in the words, "a people belonging to God". Membership is the language of belonging.
9. The Bible commands that we submit ourselves to spiritual authority. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves (Hebrews 13:17). One who does not commit to the local Body in membership has in affect said, "I will not submit myself to any authority".
10. I will let Packer make the final point: The New Testament assumes that all Christians will share in the life of a local church, meeting with it for worship (Heb. 10:25), accepting its nurture and discipline (Matt. 18:15-20; Gal. 6:1), and sharing in its work of witness. Christians disobey God and impoverish themselves by refusing to join with other believers when there is a local congregation that they can belong to.
Wednesday, August 9, 2006
tagged again
Per Marty Duren's tag:
1. One book that changed your life: Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis
2. One book that you’ve read more than once: Desiring God, John Piper
3. One book I’d want on a desert island: Other than the Bible, Desiring God
4. One book that made me laugh: Reformissionary by Mark Driscoll
5. One book that made me cry: With All Your Mind by Yandall Woodfin (because I didn't understand a word.)
6. One book that you wish you had written: Let the Nations be Glad by Piper
7. One book you wish had never been written: With All Your Mind (see above)
8. One book that you are currently reading: The Rebels of Ireland by Rutherford.
9. One book that you’ve been meaning to read: God of Promise by Michael Horton.
I tag Thabiti Anyabwile, Ed Stetzer and Jayme Thompson
1. One book that changed your life: Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis
2. One book that you’ve read more than once: Desiring God, John Piper
3. One book I’d want on a desert island: Other than the Bible, Desiring God
4. One book that made me laugh: Reformissionary by Mark Driscoll
5. One book that made me cry: With All Your Mind by Yandall Woodfin (because I didn't understand a word.)
6. One book that you wish you had written: Let the Nations be Glad by Piper
7. One book you wish had never been written: With All Your Mind (see above)
8. One book that you are currently reading: The Rebels of Ireland by Rutherford.
9. One book that you’ve been meaning to read: God of Promise by Michael Horton.
I tag Thabiti Anyabwile, Ed Stetzer and Jayme Thompson
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