Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” John 12:23
These are some of the most perplexing words of Christ recorded for us in Scripture. Taken by themselves, they are clear enough. But when we consider that “the hour” of glorification to which He refers is the hour of His passion, His suffering, His crucifixion, they become nearly unintelligible. What does crucifixion have to do with glorification? They are not merely strange bedfellows, they are incongruous, contradictory. One theologian reflects, “‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified,’ says Jesus. How can this be? Being glorified on a cross? Is that like being enthroned on an electric chair? Is it like being honored by a firing squad?” What has a cross to do with glory? In the disciples’ minds, the cross represented weakness, frailty, even failure. How can this be glory? It is this question that is contemplated in the following excerpt from The Incarnation of God:
If we would take up our crosses, if we would follow Christ’s model of self-sacrifice, we must rethink glory. We must see glory through Jesus’ eyes, instead of the eyes of this world. Thankfully, the Jesus who modeled and called us to this kind of glory, is the same Jesus who empowers His children to embrace it. Left to our own devices, we would always prefer a glory that is self-exalting, self-pleasing, self-centered. But in Christ, we learn of a different kind of glory…a glory that finds its ultimate aim in bringing honor to the One who created us and re-created us through the cross. But let us not think, even for a moment, that by embracing this kind of glory, we lose out on anything. To the contrary, what we give up is nothing compared to what we gain, both in this world and the world to come. It is the paradox of the Christian faith, that “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matt. 16:25). This isn’t merely the message Jesus preached, this is the truth Jesus lived, as we see in Philippians 2. It was following Christ’s humble descent that we read “God exalted Him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). Herein we find the descent to greatness…glory through suffering. It is not the kind of glory we earn by heroic measures, the kind that seeks reward in the esteem of others. It is a glory that finds it’s aim and source in a loving Father, a selfless Son and a life-giving Spirit. It is about realizing that no form of earthly accolades can begin to compare with receiving praise from our God (1 Cor. 4:5). It is the acknowledgement that a far greater glory exists for those who know, love and serve the glorious God of all creation. As Paul writes, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor. 4:17). The descent to greatness is about exchanging lesser glories for greater glories. Jesus invites us, as His followers, to exchange the shiny things of this world, which only last for a time and are subject to decay, for the profound blessings which come from God bringing us joy in this life and eternal pleasures in the next (Psalm 16:11). Christ’s model and message is not that we should give up glory, but that we should reach for better glory, lasting glory, the glory of God. As was true for Jesus, so it is true for us, pursuing greatness by descent may seem, at times, counterintuitive. It may conflict with our natural bent toward immediate gratification and temporary pleasure-seeking. But make no mistake, it is here, in the cruciform life modeled by Christ, that true happiness is found.
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The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3
This April will mark four years since the members of our congregation signed the final large beam installed in our building expansion…the very beam we walk under each Sunday as we enter the foyer. The picture of that beam-signing day is still visible on our website homepage! Much was signified by the signing of this beam…
But the God who does great things did an amazing work in our little congregation. He called us to step out in faith, and the Renton Bible Church family stepped up! We knew this project was beyond our ability to accomplish. Although 2016 saw a slight bump in attendance following more than twenty years of decline, we struggled to fill our small sanctuary, let alone the much larger one envisioned in this project. And though our congregation has always been faithful and generous in giving, we knew that it would take an extraordinary level of sacrifice, on the part of our members, and an extraordinary level of provision, on the part of our God, to pay for this project. As if all these obstacles were not large enough, added to it in the final year of our expansion was a global pandemic, the ensuing rise in the cost of materials and challenges for a volunteer workforce in the face of pandemic fears. Yet, through it all, God was faithful and His people were unwavering. With what result? We have gone from a church struggling to fill our tiny sanctuary to the need to find ways to fit more chairs into our new sanctuary. We have seen an explosion in children’s ministries attendance both Sunday mornings and during AWANA Wednesday evenings. It’s amazing to think that the same year we were contemplating giving up on our building expansion, we were also on the cusp of ending our AWANA ministry. Yet, once again, God provided with a new AWANA commander and a new vision for this ministry. We now have nearly double the number of kids we are reaching through this ministry. As I shared at our 2023 annual meeting, with the building completed and so many great signs of revitalization taking place in our church, it would be easy to think that all of this points to Mission Accomplished! We have been praying that God would revitalize our church through spiritual formation, and at the start of 2023 we see so many signs that this revitalization has come. Maybe now is our opportunity to just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. We can put it in cruise control and coast! It was this temptation the elders discussed at our annual retreat in January. With what conclusion? These signs of revitalization are not indicators that our job is done, but now we can really commence with the expanding Kingdom ministry we believe God has called us to. Or in the words of our new long term vision statement:
This long term vision statement was broken down into three shorter term areas of emphasis:
The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?” Numbers 14:11
How long is a question asked throughout the Old Testament. It is found in the New Testament, as well, but only a smattering of times. Yet in the Hebrew Bible, we see it dozens of times, the majority of which are found in the Psalms. Most of the twenty occurrences of “how long” in the Psalms feature the people of God crying out to God. A great example is David’s cry in Psalm 13:1, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” It is noteworthy, then, that the “how long” we find in Numbers 14:11, is a question that God asks of Moses. In fact, the majority of the occurrences of “how long” in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, come from the Lord’s lips. It is what God asks of Pharaoh, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me” (Ex. 10:3). It is God speaking to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands?” (Ex. 16:28). But there is no single chapter in the Pentateuch, nor even in the entire Old Testament, save one psalm, where we find this question posed as many times as it is posed in Numbers 14. In Numbers 14:27 God asks, “How long will this wicked community grumble against me?” But it is in the verse above, verse 11, where God asks this question twice, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?” So, what is it that moves God to ask this question? It is what we read in verse 1, “That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.” Any why did they weep aloud? Because when ten of the twelve men sent as scouts to explore the promised land reported that the people they saw there were too strong for Israel to conquer, God’s people trusted those men rather than the God who had led them out of captivity in Egypt. We must remember that there were two scouts, Joshua and Caleb, who came back with a far different conclusion than the rest of them. As Caleb says in verse 8, “If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.” How did the people of Israel respond to this report? By wanting to stone these Godly men. It is at this juncture that God’s glory appeared before the Tent of Meeting and God asked the question, “how long?” I’m guessing that Joshua and Caleb were appreciative of God’s timely interruption as the people made plans for a stoning! It’s easy to read this story, today, and shake my head at those disbelieving Israelites and say, “If I had been there, I would have sided with Caleb and Joshua! I would have trusted in God!” But is that what I would have done? I’m not so sure. How many times have I come face to face with a trial and neglected to turn to God in faith? How many times have I let myself be overwhelmed with anxiety rather than embracing the peace that passes understanding? How often do I allow myself to be worn out by worry over the relatively small obstacles I deal with on a daily basis? How often am I a complainer? And does God ever ask, “How long will Dan treat me with contempt? How long will Dan refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed before him?” It’s true! I have seen God’s miraculous intervention in my personal life more times than I can count. From my youth I have witnessed His hand of providence. And as a member of Christ’s church, time and again, I have seen God “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). So, why is it that I struggle to trust God even in the face of the small obstacles of life? As I read through the Pentateuch, there is much that is difficult for me to relate to: the tedious descriptions of the construction and furnishings of the tabernacle; the countless minute laws surrounding everything from infectious skin diseases to mildew; the repetition, twelve times over, of each element of the offerings brought to God for the dedication of the Tabernacle. I do understand why these things are recorded in Scripture—to remind the people of Israel that they serve a holy God and that they are to be holy, morally pure, and separated, from the nations around them. Yet, it is Israel’s disbelief to which I most readily relate! There’s a reason why Israel’s failure to believe is recorded for us in Scripture. In it God provides an example for us NOT to follow. And in God’s faithfulness to Israel, despite their doubts, we are reminded that the God we serve is faithful, merciful, and trustworthy. May we learn from Israel’s lack of trust, may we be encouraged by God’s faithfulness, and may we model ourselves after the likes of Caleb and Joshua who looked to the Lord to provide. In the face of trials, big or small, let us not give in to fear or complaining, but let us say, with confidence, “The LORD is with us” (14:9). Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
It’s Wednesday morning. I’ve got a full day ahead of me in view of the fact that I have YET to begin my sermon (something I TRY to start on Monday afternoon!). This is in addition to the fact that I am hosting our Renton Gospel Network lunch at Renton Bible today, which means I’ve got to provide a group of men with food of the physical kind, for nourishing the body, and of the spiritual kind, for nourishing the soul. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. I count it a privilege to fellowship with these men. But from the moment I get out of bed, it’s already feeling like a long day. I glance at my email before hopping in the shower only to see this subject line, “We’ve identified an outage affecting your Comcast Business service.” Sure enough, I get to the office and...no internet. Wouldn’t be such a big deal if it weren’t for the fact that EVERYTHING is in the cloud these days. (Sometimes I find myself resonating with the Luddites of the 19th century who feared technology imagining that machines would take over our world! Talk about prophetic.) All this to say, Wednesday started out rough. So, what was the passage which surfaced in my morning devotions? “Be joyful always.” Talk about ironic. There I was doing my morning devotions from home because Comcast was out at church. Let’s just say, I was not a happy camper! Not exactly the ideal mindset as I’m trying to spend time in the Word and in prayer. But as I began to contemplate my less than joyful disposition in the face of Paul’s call to “be joyful always,” it occurred to me just how little it takes to put me in an unhappy frame of reference—the driver in front of me going half the speed limit, overcooked food, cleaning up messes someone else left behind, a broken appliance. It’s amazing how I can allow the most insignificant of things to disrupt my joy. I guess this is why God commands joy. Notice, “be joyful” is in the imperative mood. In other words, it’s not a recommendation, it’s a command. Does that seem odd that God would command us to be joyful? We tend to think of joy as something we cannot affect. Either you’re joyful or you’re not. Can you really make yourself joyful? The issue is compounded by the third word (out of three) in this very short verse—always. (By the way, if John 11:35, “Jesus wept,” is already taken in your pursuit of short verses to memorize, 1 Thessalonians 5:16 is a decent second choice!). Always? Always. At all times. You mean, I’m to be joyful when I spill my coffee? Yep. When I lose my keys? Yep. When I have an argument with a family member? Yep. When sickness makes me miss out on something I really wanted to do? Yep. Always. The whole point is choosing joy consistently regardless of what is going on around you. I get it...that can be an extremely TALL order to fill. Obviously, it’s hard enough when you’re facing serious loss or major trials. But, honestly, it’s often challenging to choose joy even in the midst of the mundane daily frustrations we are all subject to. Maybe it is for this reason that a short verse 16 is followed by an even shorter verse 17, “pray continually.” How else can you choose joy in the midst of life’s frustrations if it is not in prayerful dependence upon God?!? Then, as if the call to “be joyful always” was not enough of a challenge, Paul goes on to instruct us to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” According to Paul, thanksgiving is what God wants for us. Like an earthly father who wants the best for his kids, our heavenly Father wants the best for you and me. And part of God’s best for us is that we choose to see past trials to the unshakable hope and joy we find in Jesus. There is never a time when a follower of Jesus does not have something to be grateful for. If you know God’s promises, you know that to be an understatement. Here’s the thing, Paul is not telling us that we need to be people who are always bubbly, gleeful, cheery. What he is saying is that we, of all people, should be those who are able to find joy even in the darkest of times, and certainly in the face of daily frustrations, because of the unshakable hope we have in Jesus Christ. The great 18th century English preacher, John Wesley, once wrote, “When we first know Christ...then it is that happiness begins; happiness real, solid substantial.” He goes on to write, “Every Christian is happy;...he who is not happy is not a Christian.” Tough words, but there’s a lot of Scripture to back them up. Scripture makes clear that joy is the Christian’s birthright. It also indicates that there will be grief too. But joy wins because we know how this story ends. So, no matter what we are facing, our baseline as those redeemed by Christ, filled with the Spirit, and loved by the Father, is happiness. There are times when it may be harder to find. But for God’s people, we have a joy that nothing, absolutely nothing, in this world can take from us. The trick is, remembering and leaning into that truth. But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Psalm 68:3
The current Renton Gospel Network book I am reading for a discussion the beginning of the New Year is Randy Alcorn’s 500 page study of Happiness. You might wonder if a book on happiness really needs 500 pages. All I can say is that I’m only a tenth of the way through it and I’ve already filled up close to a page in notes! At times happiness is contrasted with joy, with the former connected to the short-lived delights of this world, and the latter to an abiding sense of peace and blessing sourced in the Lord. That is NOT how Alcorn is using the word happiness in his book. Instead, he uses happiness interchangeably with joy. He does recognize the Biblical contrast between righteous happiness and sinful happiness, yet he also exposes the Biblical evidence that God wants us to experience happiness/joy both in this world and in the world to come. As is true of Managing God’s Money, the Alcorn book our Life on Life groups will study in the New Year, Happiness makes for excellent devotional reading because it is Scripture-saturated. Unlike too many proponents for a happiness sourced in positive thinking which tends to water down or twist God’s Word, Alcorn’s arguments are firmly grounded in the Bible. One of the central arguments of Happiness is that too many Bible-believing Christians have adopted a faith that is heavy on criticism and light on the first two fruits of the Spirit: love and joy. The result? Rather than leading compelling lives that attract unbelievers, we repel them with curmudgeon Christianity. Allow me to quote, at lengt, Alcorn’s thoughts on this topic: There are valid reasons why unbelievers fear that becoming a Christian will result in their unhappiness. They’ve known—as many of churchgoers have also known—professing Christians who go out of their way to promote misery, not gladness. I’ve seen Bible-believing, Christ-centered people post thoughts on a blog or on social media only to receive a string of hypercritical responses from people who wield Scripture verses like pickaxes, swiftly condemning the slightest hint of a viewpoint they consider suspicious. Others quickly join the fray, and soon it appears that no one has bothered to read what the blogger actually said. Responders assume the worst, not giving the benefit of the doubt and engaging in shotgun style character assassination. If I were an unbeliever reading such responses, I certainly wouldn’t be drawn to the Christian faith. I wonder why it’s not immediately recognized by those engaging in such behavior that what they’re doing is utterly contrary to the faith they profess and the Bible they believe. How is it that perpetual disdain, suspicion, unkindness, and hostility are seen as taking the spiritual high ground? Perhaps the message that Christians shouldn’t be happy has really been taken to heart! Hence curmudgeon Christianity abounds. In refreshing contrast, J.C. Ryle said, “I assert without hesitation, that the conversion described in Scripture is a happy thing and not a miserable one, and that if converted persons are not happy, the fault must be in themselves…I am confident the converted man is the happiest man.” I love that he quotes J.C. Ryle here, because Ryle is one of my favorite authors on the topic of holiness. Yet, Ryle doesn’t present happiness as something contrary to holiness, but as something that is inherent to embracing the Gospel, aka, the Good News! The message of the Bible IS Good News. As the wonderful hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness puts it, “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine with ten thousand beside.” Or in the words of Nehemiah 8:10, “the joy of the LORD is your strength.” What I have written here only scratches the surface of all that Scripture has to say about the happiness we find in Jesus. But it is a good word of encouragement to us who love Jesus. We need to be proponents of the kind of happiness that has true-lasting power…happiness sourced in Jesus. We absolutely need to expose the emptiness of our culture’s obsession with self-expression and sexuality, with complete disregard for the sanctity of human life, God’s design for sexual expression and the epic Story of God. Yet, as we do this, we must also point our world to a richer, deeper, truer kind of happiness found by those who embrace God’s love and God’s rule! We must point them to the beautiful, redemptive Story of God as the source of a lasting happiness. In this New Year, may the happiness we’ve found in Christ increasingly cause us to overflow with hearty laughter, with gracious speech and with joy-filled faces reflecting the truth, “Happy is that people whose God is the LORD!” (Psalm 144:15, KJV). I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— Galatians 1:6
I like gifts. Who doesn’t? It’s fun to unwrap something, not knowing what’s inside. It’s also fun to watch someone else unwrap something you’ve given them. And who doesn’t love the tradition of Christmas stockings filled with goodies, even though the gifts are small? However, with the dramatic rise of inflation in recent months, I am thinking that I may need to recoup some of the money spent on stocking stuffers. With this in mind, after the family opens their stockings, I am going to give them a bill. I mean, I am providing a valuable service, aren’t I? It’s only right that they should pay their fair share. Nothing in this world is free, right? Of course, the idea of charging someone for a gift is ludicrous. We know this because we know that a gift, by definition, is free. It would be just as offensive for me to try and charge my family for stockings as it would be for Debbie to open my Christmas gift for her then ask, “So, how much do I owe you for this?” Owe? You don’t owe anything—it’s a gift! Question: If we are able to understand this principle in relation to temporary gifts that may only be worn or played with for a relatively short time before ending up at the Goodwill or in the trash, why are we so hard pressed to understand this principle in relation to the grace of Christ? Grace simply means gift. What is the gift Christ has given us? Forgiveness of sins through His death on the cross resulting in the restoration of our relationship with our Maker and an eternal hope. Now, that’s a gift! It is for this reason that after Paul provides the customary greeting in the first five verses of Galatians, he leads off the body of his letter with three strong words—“I am astonished.” It’s as if to say, “I can’t believe you,” “I don’t get it,” “What’s your deal!?!” What is it that astonishes Paul? How the believers in Galatia could embrace the sweetness of God’s grace, the richness of forgiveness of sin through faith in Christ, and then turn around and act as though they can do something to earn it or deserve it. We find, in this letter, that legalistic people filled with religious zeal had infiltrated the Galatian church with their “gospel” of works. So, Paul says, “Don’t you know? A gift cannot be earned!” Or as Galatians 2:16 says, “by observing the law no one will be justified.” Being justified…that’s really the goal isn’t it? It’s coming to the conclusion of our lives and having our Maker declare, “You’re good! You made it. You’re alright in my book.” What Paul reveals is that this is something that cannot be earned. No one will be told “you’re good” on the basis of what they have accomplished. Paul makes this utterly clear in Romans 3:23 when he writes, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” But here’s the great news—it’s ok that we fall short, because Jesus doesn’t fall short. And He is the source of salvation. Yet, ironically, all of us are tempted to seek to be justified based on what we have done. The very thing Paul says is impossible, that is what we seek. This is one of the very real problems with cults like Mormonism or Jehovah’s Witnesses—they teach that salvation is a product, to a significant extent, of our effort. Even some Christian churches, to varying extents, teach that salvation is by “Grace + ( fill in the blank ).” We feel as though we must add something to grace. But most concerning, for me, are those who know, intellectually, that justification is by grace through faith, yet live with this underlying sense that they just might not be good enough. They might not say it aloud, but there is this nagging suspicion that they need to add something to grace. And if they don’t, God just might not accept them. Paul’s argument in Galatians, however, is that the idea that we can add something to grace is utter nonsense. It’s for this reason that he begins the content of his letter with “I am astonished.” Later on in the book he writes, “I am perplexed about you!” Astonishment or perplexity is the natural response to someone who chooses to do something that makes absolutely no sense. And to snub God’s grace by trying to pay for it makes absolutely no sense. As Paul writes in Galatians 2:21, “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” In this season of gift-giving, there is no better time for us to remember that the greatest gift of all is the redemption Christ purchased for us on the cross. And we must also remember that, as with any true gift, it is not something we can earn or deserve—but something we simply receive, with joy, through faith in Jesus Christ. Thank you, Jesus! But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?” Jonah 4:4
On our recent 30th anniversary trip, my wife and I found ourselves worshiping in a church on the California coast. We hadn’t done a great deal of research before choosing this church. But it was extremely close to where we were staying and when I googled the pastor’s name, he was associated with people I respect. Beyond this, his name sounded vaguely familiar to me, though I didn’t know why. The best thing about this church? One hour from start to finish! I say this tongue-in-cheek since my sermons, alone, are nearly that long! There were a couple of other things about this service that were different. The music, though very well done, was of the kind that left me straining to hear if anyone other than the folks on stage were singing. I love to hear the congregation. And the guest-preacher’s message, though Biblical, didn’t reflect the kind of expository preaching I’m used to. But I did finally figure out why I recognized the “regular” pastor’s name. I passed a display on the way out on a book he had written, which I had read, No Is a Beautiful Word. This book came to my mind this morning while I was reading another book with a chapter title with the opposite message, “Living the Perpetual Yes.” From the outset, it should be stated that both authors recognize that both Yes and No are appropriate at different times. Yet, there is something to be gleaned from the radically different bent or predispositions portrayed by each of these authors. One is perpetually on guard, seeking to protect my time, my plans, my agenda, ideally with a view to divine purposes. The other is perpetually open to the possibility of going in a different direction than that which I had planned, ideally with a view to divine purposes. I do appreciate the concept of No, especially as it relates to pastoral ministry. With a limited number of hours in the week to accomplish all that needs to be done, the wise stewardship of that time is a must for the sake of the body and for personal sanity. At times, this will mean saying No to time-draining activities so that I can say Yes to God-ordained moments, whether it’s for sermon preparation or connecting with an individual in need of shepherding. Having said this, I also believe we live in a culture where the proclivity toward No often robs us of God-ordained moments. How often do we miss God-moments because we don’t take the time to slow down and say Yes to relationship, whether it’s in the regular fellowship of the body each Sunday or a “chance” meeting with a neighbor? It could simply be a fear of commitment that flows from the desire to guard “me time.” Jonah was a guy who liked the word No. In fact, his No to God may be one of the most profound examples in Scripture. You may recall that God asked Jonah to go to the people of Nineveh and preach on their impending destruction for their sin. Jonah’s No came in the form of hopping a boat heading the opposite direction. We all know how that turned out (i.e., overboard, belly of a big fish, whale-sized vomit). We find out, in chapter 4, why Jonah said No…because God’s agenda conflicted with his agenda. Jonah knew that God’s purpose in the preaching of this message of destruction was to inspire repentance in order to save Nineveh. Jonah, an enemy of the Ninevites, was non-plussed by this plan. In truth, it’s unlikely any of us will have an experience quite this dramatic in response to saying No to God. Even so, it provides food for thought. Do we tend toward No when it comes to God or the things of God? Do we tend to say No to anything that smacks of relational entanglement or which might be costly in time, money or energy? Is No our go-to? Again, at times, No is the right choice. I think of the “Just Say No” to drugs campaign Nancy Reagan promoted. Who could argue with that?!? Yet, there are times when our proclivity to say No may actually be a No to God and His Kingdom purposes. This reality may be what motivated Jesus to say, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33). Which brings up a good point. How do you determine when No is appropriate? Or, put another way, when is Yes the wrong answer? Certainly, Christ’s call to seek first God’s Kingdom and righteousness must be a factor in making such determinations. There are some areas in which No is always wrong. A great example is found in forgiveness. Christ’s words a little earlier in that chapter are instructive, “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt. 6:15). If we reject forgiveness for others, God will reject forgiveness for us…an intense thought. This does not exclude healthy boundaries. But it does exclude a propensity to refuse forgiveness or to embrace bitterness, as was the case with Jonah. Talk about bitter. Jonah threw a hissy-fit over God’s desire to forgive the Ninevites. (And you gotta love how God reveals Jonah’s selfishness with the provision, then removal, of a vine in chapter 4.) But as someone has said, “bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die!” No to forgiveness for others, according to Scripture, means a divine No to forgiveness for us. Not good. But when it comes to decisions that aren’t clear, there is one decision that is always right…the decision to pray! This isn’t merely saying, “I’ll pray about it,” just before we conveniently forget about the thing altogether. This is praying for divine wisdom with trust that God will lead (see James 1:5-8). Beyond all this, what we are talking about is the refusal to buy into the self-centered No which our culture promotes and to embrace the God-centered Yes taught in Scripture and modeled by our Lord! After all, it is because Jesus said Yes to the cross, Yes to the nails, Yes to the greatest sacrifice imaginable that He was able to destroy the most unthinkable No imaginable! To the God who said Yes to forgiveness, Yes to adoption as sons and daughters, Yes to life…may we learn to live the perpetual YES! "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2
We like to think of the Christian life as a never-ending ascent leading us closer to God. With every passing year, we gain greater spiritual wisdom, we draw closer to our Creator, and we are increasingly remade into the image of Christ. What a beautiful picture! And although this is certainly an ideal to strive for, the reality is often quite different. Why is this so? We are warned in Scripture of powers that are actively seeking to kill, steal and destroy. As dramatically envisioned in The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis, Scripture points to spiritual forces that work in opposition to the life-transforming purposes of God’s Spirit in us. Lewis touches on a number of different ways these spiritual forces seek to derail God’s work in us, throughout these letters, but certainly one of the most potent means is the one that Dante puts dead center in his listing of the seven deadly sins…sloth. I feel bad for the sloth, that “arboreal Neotropical” mammal. Honestly, it has to be one of the most adorable creatures in God’s creation. And what profound lessons it teaches us: Don’t hurry, get plenty of rest and smile. OK, it might not actually be smiling, but it’s face looks like it is perpetually happy. And why shouldn’t it be? It gets to hang out in the trees, eat leaves, and discover new places. Sloths, as mammals, are lovable. Sloth, as a character trait, not so much. What makes sloth a deadly sin? Maybe, in part, the fact that we are lulled into sloth without even realizing it. Certainly, there are times of great zeal and passion in the Christian life, especially the initial fervor that often marks those who are new to faith. But the highs don’t last forever. Eventually, we come to find that we can run our Christian lives quite seamlessly on auto-pilot. It doesn’t happen all at once. But over time we are attracted to the prospect of exerting less energy in our spiritual life, energy that we happily divert to those things that provide more immediate gratification. Yet sloth is of the “silent, but deadly” variety because it isn’t attached to some monumental decision or doctrinal shift, but is a side effect of the natural human tendency to get distracted, lose focus, coast. It is the product of natural atrophy, a succumbing to the gravitational pull of comfort, that great 21st century idol. It calls to the spiritually lackadaisical, lazy, lethargic side of all of us. How different this pursuit than the one described in Hebrews 12. Run with perseverance? It’s the polar opposite of our culture’s quest for comfort. In one we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, in the other we fix our eyes on a screen, a phone, a mirror, a web page, a recliner, a retirement! In one the focus is God’s eternal purposes to bring life, love and healing to the world, in the other the focus is self-centered desires for passing pleasures and a superficial peace. In one is the miracle of divine life taking root and growing in us and in those around us, in the other is an amusement that lasts but a moment and leave us no better than we were before…and often much worse. Who doesn’t like comfort? Comfort is nice. Honestly, comfort can be a wonderful gift of God, especially when it is sourced in the one who is called THE Comforter! The problem is when we get hooked on comfort, when it is no longer a wonderful side effect of divine blessings, but it becomes our purpose, our goal, our main thing. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. I don’t think it is a stretch to say that in our culture today, comfort has become an idol. So, how do we short-circuit this natural tendency toward sloth?!? The answer is right there in Hebrews 12, is it not? Fix your eyes on Jesus. We must choose to model ourselves after the one for whom comfort was NOT the highest goal. We must imitate the one who sacrificed personal comfort so that He might be “the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross.” Joy? How could He find joy in the cross? It was certainly not joy derived from the agonizing pain, but joy derived from the end result: victory for the kingdom, salvation for God’s people, and glory for God! Jesus reveals that there are things more important than comfort! With a new school year upon us, a new season of life and ministry has begun. May this be a season in which we are responding to the call of God in our lives to draw closer to our Father, be shaped into the image of the Son, and be filled day by day with the power of the Spirit. Or as Paul puts it, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11). “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” Joshua 24:23
These words follow what are, undoubtedly, the most well-known words in the book of Joshua, “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.... But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Josh. 24:15). The question is, how? How is this accomplished? Serving Yahweh sounds like a noble pursuit, but what does it look like practically? Joshua’s answer: chuck your idols, yield your heart. I remember attending pep rallies at high school. Pep rallies sure are a funny thing. I confess, I never really got the reasoning behind them. All I knew is that we’d get let out of third period early. What kid doesn’t like it when class lets out early? So, we’d make our way to the gym, fill up the bleachers, then watch as cheerleaders and jocks tried to get everyone excited about the big game. Honestly, though, I never really walked away enthused for Friday night’s lights. I didn’t get the point. Sometimes, we are tempted to let church be like this, like a pep rally. Who doesn’t enjoy joining in cheers with the worship team? Who doesn’t like a hip speaker getting us pumped up for God? Cue the fog machine! Don’t get me wrong, I like a pep rally as much as the next guy. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with enthusiasm in worship. In fact, enthusiasm for God and His people and His purposes is appropriate! But if we don’t get beyond the enthusiasm, beyond the rah rah rah, beyond the cheers, then there is a problem. So, what separates pep rally church from one reflective of the church Jesus instituted? Honestly, I believe the last chapter of the book of Joshua, written more than 1200 years before the church began, provides excellent principles on how to make church more than a pep rally! First, the focus of the chapter is on Yahweh God. It begins with a lengthy review of God’s redemptive acts on behalf of Israel, from the call of Abraham in Genesis 12 to the driving out of the Amorites in Joshua 10. How did Israel defeat the Amorites? By God delivering some well-placed hail stones and causing the sun to stand still! It is God who is the source of Israel’s victory, as seen in words like, “I sent, I brought, I delivered, I gave.” The focus is on God. Second, the chapter reminds Israel that they are part of a larger story. How easy it would have been for the people to think that it’s just about them—their time, their needs, their designs. But by recounting God’s redemptive work among His people covering a span of some 800 years, Joshua reveals that it’s not just about them, it’s about the bigger story of God. They are not the main characters of their own little stories. They are part players in the grand narrative of God’s redemption story. Third, the chapter includes not only a noble exhortation, serve Yahweh, but specific, realistic and convicting instruction. Serve God, worship God, love God…these are all wonderful exhortations. But because of human sinfulness, we must go further, deeper. What does serving God look like? It looks like getting rid of idols—the things that cause you to marginalize God, veer off course, lose your footing. Get rid of them. Chuck ‘em. They don’t belong among God’s people. Notice, God doesn’t say, “if you come upon foreign gods….” He says, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you.” This is in addition to some pretty honest language throughout this chapter about the people’s proclivity to flake, renege, rebel, along with some pretty tough words about the consequences. Yet the means to serving Yahweh doesn’t end with a negative, but with a positive. What is the positive? Yield your hearts to Yahweh, the God of Israel. This Hebrew word for yield occurs more than 200 times in the Old Testament, and is translated 100 different ways. But when attached to the word heart, it conveys a deference toward, a submission to. It isn’t about an external conformity, but an interior allegiance…to yield, bow, bend your heart to God. So, what is the model that Joshua 24 provides for our worship? First, our services are not about us, but about God…about His purposes, His redemption, His glory. Second, our services must be grounded in God’s Word, helping us to see that we are part of a grand narrative, a larger story, the Story of God. Third, our services must be gritty. It’s not enough to offer eloquent and cheery thoughts about God, we must get down and dirty, letting the light of God’s Word shine on every crack and crevice for Holy Spirit transformation! There should be some pep in our worship service, but if we don’t get into the raw, messy reality that is life on planet earth, we may walk away pumped up, yet unchanged. How about you? What idols do you need to chuck? What is causing you to stray from the path, take your eyes off God, displease a holy and jealous God? And how’s your heart? Is it becoming increasingly yielded to the lover of your soul, your God, your Redeemer? May we bend our hearts to God. May we clear out junk in our lives that doesn’t do us, or anyone else, any good. And may we join with the people in responding to Joshua, “We will serve Yahweh our God and obey Him.” This week we saw a headline that for nearly 50 years seemed unthinkable, impossible… “The Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade.” Thanks to an unprecedented leak the beginning of May, it seemed that this headline was a foregone conclusion. Even so, for those who have fought tirelessly to secure protections for the most vulnerable among us, there was a strong sense of anticipation previous to the actual ruling.
Yet, the very decision which has produced rejoicing among abortion’s foes, this last weekend of June, 2022, has resulted in angry protest among abortion’s supporters. If you listen for even a few moments to the rhetoric of these protesters, you find a consistent cry of the victimization of women, the annihilation of human rights and the ravaging of freedom. But the question which begs to be asked is whether this narrative is true or false. Ironically, this weekend also coincides with the so-called Pride weekend. Yet, this celebration of Gay Pride also raises serious questions about the veracity of the narrative. This blog is my humble attempt to help us see these false narratives for what they are and consider how we can speak truth in love into these stories as a means of pointing people to Jesus. ABORTION—A RIGHT OR A WRONG? From the moment the leak of the likely overturning of Roe v. Wade occurred, politicians in Seattle have been falling over each other to get in front of a mic to voice their absolute disgust with this decision. It’s the same rhetoric repeated this weekend in light of the actual ruling. One politician said the ruling reflected a “rigged court.” Another said, “It’s the first-time rights have been taken away” by the Supreme Court. Nancy Pelosi referred to it as “criminalizing health freedom.” And President Biden offered his two cents with, “Let's be very clear, the health and life of women in this nation are now at risk.” What you cannot help but see in all of this political commentary is the unbelievably slanted perspective it offers. It’s as if, with the publishing of the ruling, someone said, “let the gloves come off and the let the spin begin!” What is terribly evident is that spin is exactly what it is. For example, Biden’s statement that “the health and life of women in this nation are now at risk” makes it sound as though every woman in America should be taking out a life insurance policy. The truth is, the year prior to the legalization of abortion, 39 out of 130,000 illegal abortions resulted in the death of the would-be-mother. In other words, while three one hundredths of a percent of illegal abortions resulted in the death of the would-be-mother, one hundred percent of all abortions result in the death of the baby. Yet this is not a perspective you will hear voiced by such politicians. President Biden went on to state that this is the first time a constitutional right has been taken away. This statement is not just slanted, it’s an absolute falsehood. Abortion has never been a constitutional right. Instead, it was a law introduced long after the constitution and relevant amendments were ratified. But it isn’t just the politicians who have gotten in on the spin. It’s shocking how unabashedly biased our “unbiased” media has been in their remarks. Chuck Todd of Meet the Press fame has indicated that at stake in this decision is nothing less than the “future of women’s rights.” This came alongside the statement that in the Supreme Court “there are no black ropes, the ropes are red and blue.” Again, the spin is dizzying. First of all, it is astonishing that no one among the mainstream media gives even a moment’s consideration of the rights of the unborn. I guess it’s because they have concluded that the unborn have no rights. Second, the “red and blue” ropes remark portrays today’s Supreme Court as an entity that is all of a sudden making decisions based on political views as opposed to pure interpretation of the constitution. But, in truth, could this not also be said of the decision to take away the rights of the unborn nearly 50 years ago? Certainly, the mainstream media and politicians of all stripes have the right to their opinions. But I think it is imperative that we see these narratives for what they are…a reflection of a worldview that finds its center not in the Word of God but in the wisdom of man. I think it is fair to say that the overwhelming majority of rhetoric we find in the town square, these days, represents a narrative that is at odds with God’s Word. This needs to be said because I believe that we, as followers of Christ, are more susceptible to influence by these false narratives than we might imagine. PRIDE—THE INTOLERANCE OF TOLERANCE Another great example of the power of false narratives is that which indicates that if you are not a fervent and affirming supporter of the LGBTQ movement, you are a bigot, a hater, intolerant. But as was pointed out in my “Intolerant Tolerance” seminar some years back, the definition of tolerance has been changed. The old school definition of tolerance was, according to Webster’s Dictionary, “To allow; permit; not interfere with. To recognize and respect (others’ beliefs, practices, etc.) without necessarily agreeing or sympathizing. To put up with; to bear.” A more recent definition of tolerance, arriving at very different conclusions, can be found in the online dictionary, Encarta, “ACCEPTANCE OF DIFFERENT VIEWS – the accepting of the differing views of other people.” Can you see the difference? In the old definition, tolerance usually meant “I DO NOT agree with you, but I am willing to treat you respectfully, in spite of my disagreement.” But under the new definition, tolerance requires acceptance of the validity of the opposing viewpoint or affirmation. It is the more recent definition of tolerance that is enmeshed in the rhetoric of the LGBTQ movement. Yet, it must be said that genuine tolerance, as reflected by Webster’s above, does not require one to accept the LGBTQ lifestyle as a good or healthy choice. In truth, it is impossible to affirm this lifestyle and remain faithful to God’s Word. But this does not mean that we, as Christ-followers, are haters. To the contrary, we can disagree with this lifestyle while treating its adherents with respect. In fact, we are compelled to do so by the law of love. Yet we must not confuse love that flows from old school tolerance with the kind of love that chooses to ignore truth, or the truly inalienable right of God to determine right and wrong. Let’s turn to an even more specific question: Should we, as believers, support Gay Pride? It has become popular, in our culture, to vilify and demonize anyone who does not support Gay Pride, as if such individuals are mean-spirited, unkind. But it's helpful to clarify that you do not have to support Gay Pride in order to support the notion that all people, regardless of race, religion, creed or sexuality, should be treated in a courteous and kind manner. Once again, this is at the heart of old-school tolerance, that all people should be treated with dignity and respect. Why? Why should all people be treated with dignity and respect? First, because all people are made in the image of God. True, we have marred that image by sinful choices…something that is true of ALL OF US! But because we are all made in God's image, ALL OF US are also deserving of dignity and respect. Second, we should treat all people this way because of the law of love (think second greatest commandment, Mark 12:31). Jesus doesn't say love your neighbor if they think, speak, act or believe like you. In fact, Jesus takes it a step further when he argues that we should love our enemies (Matt. 5:43-44). So, does loving our neighbors, and even our enemies, mean that we, as believers, should support Gay Pride? Well, what does Gay Pride stand for? It stands for sexualizing preschoolers. It says that our public-school children should be exposed to sexually explicit topics and agendas which are in opposition to Biblical teaching. It stands for requiring Christian ministries that are founded on the Bible to hire individuals who are militantly opposed to the core beliefs of the organization. It stands for discriminating against companies or organizations that do not embrace the Gay Pride agenda, like the City of Seattle refusing to do business with Christian-based companies. Our culture paints anyone who does not support Gay Pride as mean, hateful. But you need to see through this false narrative and recognize that you can be against Gay Pride while being for kindness and courtesy to all people. I’ll take it a step further, if you adhere to the truthfulness of Scripture, you must reject Gay Pride as an agenda, but you must also seek to treat its adherents with respect. Again, this does not require that we are “affirming.” To the contrary, for the sake of the most vulnerable in our society, our children, we must seek ways to take a stand against such false narratives. I don't know how many companies I've unsubscribed from during the so-called Pride Month. As well, when I've had opportunity, I've let companies know that I don't appreciate the infusion of a sexual agenda into the market place. It has also impacted the places I patronize. It is good to support those who are not giving into this sexualization of our culture and our kids. I'm not saying we should refuse to do business with anyone who disagrees with us on these issues. That would be adopting the same discrimination that has been showcased by the Gay Pride agenda. But I am saying that for those companies who are in your face and intentionally antagonistic toward people of faith...we should avoid patronizing them, when possible. By the way, there is an assumption I've not made explicit here that probably needs to be stated. God's Word, that is what God has conveyed to us in the Bible, makes clear that sexuality outside of marriage between one man and one woman is against His law, in opposition to His design. This is not debatable. God's Word is very clear. Just read the last half of Romans 1. There are teachings in Scripture that are less clear and which leave room for differences of opinion. This one, however, is absolutely clear and leaves no room for differences of opinion among those who would treat God’s Word with integrity. If God's Word is our authority, then we must confess that sexuality outside of marriage between one man and one woman is sinful. If you reject that, then you reject our Sovereign Creator’s right to determine what is right and what is wrong. You, in essence, are embracing the lie that is as old as the Garden of Eden, that we can be our own gods and determine right and wrong for ourselves. SPEAKING TRUTH IN LOVE Does this mean we should mistreat those who disagree with us or who embrace a lifestyle at odds with God's Word? No. Does it mean that we should give into the "us vs. them" mentality propagated by those who practice intolerance toward people of faith? No. Truly, we must not ignore God's Word or compromise Biblical standards for the sake of the affirmation of a culture which has "exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.” Yet, we also must not give into the temptation to see abortion and Gay Pride supporters as enemies. Our true enemy is the one who has blinded this world to God’s truth, the one who seeks to kill, steal and destroy (2 Cor. 4:4 and John 10:10). Believers, we must stand strong for both truth (as defined by the only One who has the right to define it) and love (as revealed in the character traits described in 1 Corinthians 13 and applied to all people). I'd love to chat more with you about these tough topics. It's hard, at times, to know how to apply such truths in a culture so militantly opposed to truth. Yet this makes it all the more important for us to be talking through such things with those who share our love and respect for God and His Word. My prayer for us is the same as Paul’s prayer in Romans 15:5-6… “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” |
Dan GannonDan has ministered at Renton Bible Church, with his wife Debbie, since 2003. Archives
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