No Really You Have to SEE It!

This morning while I was working away on annual reports, I heard a fascinating little interaction:

Robin: "Did you see what Bill did in the Breakaway Room?"

Doug: "I heard that he did some work on it."

Robin: "Umm...yeah, you need to SEE the Breakaway Room!"

Bill had totally repurposed a room.  It was an amazing thing to behold. You had to SEE it. Doug went to SEE it. Robin escorted me down to SEE it, she was so excited about what Bill had done. 

I am sure she will escort others to the room who haven't SEEN it.  

I immediately had this scene in my head, 

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of h

im, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"48 Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"50 Jesus answered him,"Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these."51 And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you,t you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." (John 1:43-51, ESV)

Philip knew that he had found the Messiah. He knew that Nathanael needed to know him too. You can almost hear Nathanael say, "I heard that there was someone like that around here." Philip's response, "Come and see." You have to wonder if Nathanael heard in this response Psalm 66:5. 

It's 2012, a new year has dawned.  What will you be about this year? Will you, like Robin, invite your friends to SEE? 

My prayer for this year is simple, "Father God grant opportunity for people to see and hear."

Love-at-first-sight

Once Upon A Time...

via youtube.com

Fairy Tales are glimpses into our cultural psyche. They paint pictures of deeper bits of reality. ABC's Once Upon a Time paints an interesting picture:

The town of Storybrooke is under a curse. The people there do not know who they really are because of the curse. There is one woman and a little boy who know the truth. The woman, the Evil Queen is doing everything in her power to conceal the truth. The little boy, proclaims the truth about the curse and the people's real identities. The town thinks him crazy.

My 10 year old son said, "Dad, this is just like the gospel."

Indeed it is son, indeed it is.

One Story, One People, One Mission

In my opinion, One by U2 is the greatest song of the 20th century. That's a big statement, I know. But seriously, listen to this and tell me it's not awesome: httpv://youtu.be/ftjEcrrf7r0 It strikes me that this could be a theme for the people of God.  There is a distinct theme of oneness in the Scriptures.  Ephesians puts it this way:
"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:1–6 ESV)
This is a great summary of the teaching of "one".  Paul highlights this core teaching because it is central to our identity as Christians and it is central to maintaining the authority of Scripture. I think I would summarize it this way, "One story, one people, one mission." There is one story.  The story of the God of the universe actively pursuing his glory. In the midst of this story we find heartbreak, promises, love, joy, sadness, and redemption. This story is the overarching story.  There are many mini stories that make up the chapters of this larger story. We see a Father pursuing his child. We find stories of exile and redemption. We experience a bridegroom sacrificing for his bride. There is one people. These are the chosen people of God.  They were hand picked by him from before the world began. These people come from every tongue, tribe, and nation.  These people are called the sons of Abraham. They are people who live by faith not by sight.  They are people who have come to the end of themselves and found themselves to be wanting.  They are people who though dead have been made alive. These are the people of God, one people, from the beginning. There is one misson. This one people of God who find themselves in the midst of the one story of God find that they are on a single mission from God. This mission is like nothing that they have experienced before.  It is not about what they should be doing or not doing.  It is not about rules, laws, or legalism.  It is not about going close or going far.  It is about finding in their daily lives that they are to be pursuing the very same thing that their God is pursuing - his glory.  In doing so they live, act, and do things differently. They become a people concerned about what their God is concerned about.  They become a people who press out locally, regionally, and globally joining their God at every turn. Some may argue that God works differently with his people at different times.  They may argue that certain people are more special to God than others.  They may state that there is a great distinction between the first 39 and the last 27 books of the Scriptures.  I would encourage these people to take a step back and consider Ephesians 4:1-6 and then go listen to a little U2.

Charles Schwab and Sovereign Grace

Sovereign grace we have discovered is what propels out into God's mission.  Now let's continue to explore Ephesians 1:11-14 to see how else it applies to our lives as followers of Jesus,

“11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

We are going to close by looking at the ramifications of verses 12-14. As a result of the sovereign grace of God working out all things according to the purpose of his will we find that we have security.

Security.

It's something that investment companies make millions of dollars off of...

httpv://youtu.be/mFM-m31y5HY

We all desire security and it drives much of what we do and don't do in life.  The perceived lack of security can create fear.  This is what most of the politicians do in their campaigns.  They seek to show that the other party will eliminate security from your life and leave you dangling. When we don't feel secure in our lives we experience fear.

However these verses in Ephesians remove any doubt about security from us. We no longer find our security in the context of finances, power, or relationships with people.  We find them in relationship with the God of the universe. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God and in that sealing we find that there is nothing that can separate us from relationship with God.

This kind of security allows us to live freely.  This kind of security actually sends us with confidence into a broken world without fear of being separated from God. We can enter into relationships with people not worried about our identity because it is wrapped up in God.  We can tell people about Jesus and not have to worry about rejection or pain.

It turns out that when we find our security in the midst of God's grace we are able to step out boldly, confidently, full of grace and truth.  We can then love well to the glory of God.

What would your life look like if you never feared insecurity ever again?

It would be amazing.

Next...

I have been thinking where to go next as I wrestle through how our beliefs drive the mission. Remember, what we believe ought to send us on an expedition with God. Since I have argued that Jesus is the center, that he is Lord,  and that this is the starting point, I will move forward with the reality that those are Christ followers are said to be "in Christ". When it comes to unity with Christ let's start with John 15:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

(John 15:1-11 ESV)

Jesus is the central figure. He is the vine to which all is connected, I think this image is helpful:

Media_httpdanielmrose_nehgs

The "trunk" is the "vine". When one becomes a follower of Jesus she is grafted into the vine. The branches or cordons.  These are one with the vine. You see, those are Christians are not simply followers, we are one with the true vine. This reality is significant. Do you get that? If you claim to be a Christian you are one with Christ. This is why Paul says,
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

(2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

It is the "in Christness" of the person that determines their new identity. This is why Jesus' righteousness can be ours, because we are in him. We cannot be justified apart from being in him.

So what?

That's next...

Before the Beginning...a Further Reflection

I was thinking about this whole Jesus is the theological center thing all weekend and realized that this rabbit hole is ridiculously deep. I mean here is the God of the universe walking among us. Here, present, in time and space. Think about this reality, just for a moment. It's pretty astounding isn't it? The burning bush, the pillar of cloud and fire, theophanies. But, here is the person of God perfectly human and perfectly divine. To explore the riches of this reality is something that we cannot possibly come to an end of. The practical realities of this truth are limitless as well, are they not? Where did God go when he was here? A manger. A wedding. The wilderness. Dusty roads. A place everyone else avoided. The tax collector's booth. The sea. The mountains. The prostitute's corner. The drunk's table. The Temple. The synagogue. God entered. He engaged this lost world in a very raw and very real way. He didn't hole up in the Temple courts or in the synagogue. He didn't only hang with the religious people. He said things like, "I came to seek and save the lost." "This sick need a physician not the healthy." He said things like, "If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off." "The son of man has no place to lay his head." He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." He leads us out into expedition. He leads us to a dangerous place. He leads to the place of faith. This is not for the faint-hearted but the for the courageous who can follow a master that is more concerned about glory than safety. I have come to this question, "Am I living safe?" If I am living "safe", I am not following the one who called me. Living "safe" means that I will not be in danger of losing my life. I love the fact that there are people in my life who are not living "safe". They inspire me. They inspire me because they are following Jesus. I want to follow Jesus too. I want to go where he goes. I really do. But, it is scary.

What's Worse? (Part 2)

In our previous post we saw how Jesus engaged the world. He entered in and sought to transform the culture within which he lived. He did so with passion, without regret, and in perfect holiness. He did so to the point that he was called a "drunkard" and a "glutton". This is our model. How do we apply it? The first question that I hear murmuring is, "He was God. It's different isn't it?" No. It's not different. That kind of reasoning has no place here in the quest for the engagement of culture. It can't. If it did then we ought to say, "He was God, therefore we shouldn't disciple, because it's different." We could allow this line of thinking to go in any number of directions. No, it's better to say that Jesus did it, therefore, we must try. The next thing I hear murmuring through your mind is, "Not everyone is called to this. What about the weaker brother in Romans?" I hear your concern. I think in some sense it's an appropriate one. I don't think it should rule the day. The thinking becomes similar as the previous statement. The "stronger" brother has a responsibility to help the weaker grow. He should not flaunt his freedom (which is Paul's concern) but should help his brother grow and become strong. To remain stagnant is not what Paul is arguing for. How do we engage with a broken culture and transform it while maintaining our holiness? That's the question. I think we first need to realize that we need to start at the place of discernment. We each have different capacities and different amounts of freedom. Some of us will be able to engage in different cultural activities and others will look elsewhere. These differences are what make us the body. Discernment requires us to pray, to study, and listen. We must not allow discernment to be a vague form of legalism though. To avoid this we must believe the best in those around us. This caveat must not be a license to sin. The thing about sin is that you typically know it when you see it. Along with discernment there must also be engagement. The engage means that we are moving out critically. We are not simply taking in but we are evaluating, critiquing, and seeking understanding. This also requires us to have a "telos" or goal of transformation. If we are simply seeking to be entertained then we are not following Jesus' example. If we withdraw from the world then we are not following Jesus' example. If we engage, transform, and then begin to create culture, we are following Jesus' example. There is so much we complain about and worry about. What would happen if believers created culture on the basis of the Christian worldview? What about education? Politics? Art? We would find films rated R, G, PG, PG-13 because life, reality, is represented by all of them. We would find horror films, we would find romance, comedy, action, violence, sex, redemption. We would find these because they are part of the Scriptures and reflect reality. We engage culture because we are human. We seek to transform it because we image bearers.

What's Worse (Part 1)?

As we near the end of this discussion on engaging culture a few concluding points need to be made. Primarily we need to discuss which is worse, sinful thematic elements, or subtle deconstructions of worldview. This is something that we struggle to figure out on a principled level in every aspect of our lives as Christians. For us to get our minds around this reality we must first look at the life of Jesus to give us a glimpse of how we ought to live. To do that I think it will be helpful to take a look at Luke 7. This section of Luke's narrative begins with the story of the Roman Centurion. The Jewish context of this time was varied and it is hard to necessarily pigeon hole the average Jew into a group. However, there is one thing that we can be relatively certain of, and that is the basic distrust and dislike of the Roman occupation. This was understood to be an extension of exile. The average Jew would not have associated with Centurions. The leaders of Capernaum apparently did because this particular Centurion built the local Synagogue. This story is remarkable because of Jesus' statement, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." That is an abrasive statement, at best. That would be like a U of M football coach saying that OSU is the greatest football team ever, at a pep rally on campus at U of M. This simply does not happen. But it did. From here Jesus raises a widows son from the dead. He displays the justice and compassion of God. Then we encounter a remarkable interaction between Jesus and John's disciples. We couldn't possibly enter into a full exposition of this passage, however, I want to point out verse 34. Jesus says, "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'" Consider what Jesus is saying here. He self-identified with the immoral and broken of his culture. He did this to the point that the religious people called him a glutton and a drunk. Jesus stepped into the sinful world and engaged it so fully that he was challenged as to his own morality. This section closes with a sinful woman, a city prostitute, forgiven. Jesus allowed her to touch him and caress his feet with her hair. She made him ritually unclean. Jesus didn't care. He forgave her and sent her away in peace. Jesus engaged the lost world and transformed it. This is our model. How do we apply this? That's the next post!