Becoming Priests

One by one, people choose to follow Jesus. (At least, in the US, it’s one by one.) And as they choose, they begin a process.

They are judged guilty, but they are judged to have had their sentences served. They begin a process of training to live, look and act like Jesus. They are redeemed and forgiven. They are adopted into God’s family. They are given God’s presence in their hearts. They are allowed unprecedented access to the King of Kings.

They are also put into training as God’s priests. We are responsible to intercede for other members of God’s family, as well as everyone else, who are not part of God’s family.

As priests, we should explain God’s nature, work and governance. We represent God to all people. We take part in the training of others in how to live as a member of God’s family and in the training of how to act as God’s priest.

Faith

It is faith that pleases God. If one reads Scripture, one reads the stories of people who heard God speak and acted accordingly. They trusted God and completed tasks that sounded foolish.

God told Abraham to leave a life of comfort, worldly success, family and go to a place of privation, hard work and few resources. Abraham was to build the foundation of God completing his mission in the world.

Moreover, God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac -- to kill him, and burn his body as an act of worship. Isaac was an essential link toward Abraham completing the work God gave him.

But Abraham trusted God's word (that he would not renege on a promise that was previous given), God's character (that he was kind and good) and God's ability (that even death could not thwart his purposes). 

Even the mission he has given the church seems impossible in light of the world's circumstances. But Jesus promises that before his return, his message would be proclaimed through out the world. He will be with us and enable us to make disciples from every people group. Indeed, he proclaimed the members of every people group would stand before him, accepted into his eternal family.

Church - III

Part of "Christian consumerism" is the idea that it is the responsibility of Christian professionals to make us happy, facilitate our growth and serve Jesus for us.

One of the commands of Jesus is to "make disciples." The process of making disciples is:
● proclaim Jesus to the world;
● baptize  (which, in part, demonstrates a change of allegiance and an identification with Jesus' family);
● develope a lifestyle of learning and obeying his commands (which includes the command to make disciples).

We are all supposed to be disciples who make disciples. We are all supposed to be responsible for facilitating growth and spiritual care for one another. In other words, we are all pastors. And we are all mutually responsible for one another. We cannot say because Iam not a professional, I am not responsible for proclaiming Christ, or being part of the planting-harvesting cycle. The family is responsible for cooperating with God in completing his mission.

Note:
Ultimatley, it is foolish to hold any person responsible for the growth of another person. Spiritual growth requires a work deep in the heart of a person. And only God is strong enough to change hearts.

Church - II

I ran into a term the other day that intrigues me: "Christian consumerism." It is not trying to describe religious buying habits, but a mind-set and attitude about church.

There is a large segment of Christianity today that view people like customers. Churches compete with each other to attract the largest crowds. They put on the biggest show, have the best band, and the most charismatic and gifted speakers.

And there are individuals who consider this as right and proper. They go to a particular church, because they get their senses tickled. The worship gives them a greater emotional high. The speakers are more entertaining. And if they are not being "fed" at a level that meets their expectations, the move on to find one that does.

I have recently discuss what a church is: family, body, community, army and team. A member of a family or body cannot simply opt out. A team or an army are not judged by how well they entertain the "troops." They are judged by performance, cohesiveness and attaining the goals of their mission.

The mind-set of much of the modern church is to be served. But Jesus said I am here to serve. And we are supposed to be like Jesus.

Church

Occasionally, I will come across a discussion among Jesus followers of what constitutes success. Many churches follow a group of metrics that is more consistent with business than the type of model Jesus described. This includes things like: counts of service attendees, amounts of money given, conversions and baptisms. Given that a modern church, in the West especially, is usually incorporated, and therefore, in the legal sense, a business, keeping these sort of counts, as well as a balanced check book and up to date ledgers, is a good and sensible practice.

But scripture's description of what a church should be like is quite different from a business. It is a family, a body, a community, an army and an athletic team. It has elements of all these, but cannot be said to be totally any of them. Its success should have different metrics, because its goals and methods are different.

It is a family, because of the intimacy and loyalty it should produce. It is a body, because its members have a diversity of function and an interdependence of those functions. It is a community, because of its commonalities. It is an army, because of its self-sacrifice and commitment to its mission.  It is a team, because it works together to achieve its goals.

Love Your Enemies

Jesus calls us to be with Him. But we are enemies; we are rebels of the King and outlaws.

  Normally, one does not extend an invitation to enemies, or to people who go against everything one stands for. Jesus not only extends the invitation, but he provides the means for them to come.

Jesus died for His enemies and for the outlaws. His death created a bridge for the rebels and criminals to enter His Kingdom in peace. Now they can easily come.

Would anyone pay such a price to extend hospitality to rebels and outlaws?

First of All

In the 1990's, there was a tremendous call to prayer. Books were written. Sermons were preached. It especially looked toward the new millennium as a crucial time. 

Prayer does seem to have the same fervent emphasis it used to. Does prayer not work? Or did we lose focus, excitement and enthusiasm for it? 

I confess my own prayer life has taken a nose dive. But I have recognized it, and tried to remedy it.

Part of what is sparking my desire to renew my commitment to prayer are parts of Scripture like this message to our young leader.

Paul say "first of all" -- first priority, first choice, first in this list of important practices -- pray for everybody. Prayer ought to be on the forefront of our thinking, our reactions and our choices.

But there is more. We should pray for everybody. We should pray for the benefit and profit of everybody. We should pray for their good.

Moreover, we should be thankful for everybody.

And we should apply think to our political leaders in particular.

Imagine -- on the day of the sequester, in the midst of the political climate in America -- Jesus followers getting on their knees and beseeching the Lord of All for the good of people ... including Congress! including the president! Then, searching their hearts to find something about "those people" to be grateful to God for!

Grow in Faith

While writing that same young leader, Paul urged him to follow a number of practices and to strive for a number of things. Among those things he was supposed to strive for were: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

A person can strive for righteousness by learning what is right and what is wrong, and working to avoid the wrong, but practice the right.

A person can strive for godliness by practicing the spiritual disciplines: reading scripture, praying, meditating, etc.

A person can strive for love by serving, recognizing what love is and what love is not, and avoiding what it is not, and practicing what it is as well as possible.

A person can strive for perseverance by “getting back on the horse” after you fall.

A person can strive for gentleness by striving to control hot emotions, and responding more calmly and coolly.

Here’s my problem … how do you strive to grow in faith? Read the promises of God, claim them (by asking God to fulfill what he promised) and waiting for the result? Praying for something and waiting for an answer? Anybody have an idea?

Relationships

Seems like most Christians say that Christianity is all about our relationship with God. I am beginning to think that following Jesus is all about relationships, period.

In a letter to a young leader, Paul advises him on dealing with relationships with: God, the government, people who once followed Jesus, but don’t anymore, older men, older women, younger men, younger women, and those who do not follow Jesus.

In business, it may be “Location! Location! Location!” but in following Jesus it’s “People! People! People!”

Give Thanks

Praying about everything is not enough. We should also express our gratitude to God for everything he has done for us. Then, we will experience inexpressible peace.

Again, I don't know if this means we should be happy with everything. However, it should affect how we perceive everything.

Many of the Psalm encourage a review and a remembering of God's Works. People are prone to forget. People are prone to focus at the close to hand. If what is at hand is bad, people are prone to focus on the bad.

Focus on God's grace and provision brings a greater awareness and understanding of God's character, commitment to people, and is an encouragement to faith and trust.

Peace is created as we come to greater realization of who is concerned for us, and who is active on our behalf.

Don't Worry, Be Happy?

Scripture encourages us to not worry about anything. Rather, our response should be prayer. We have previously defined prayer as a conversation with God. So, we are being encouraged not to have a conversation with ourselves about issues facing us, but have a conversation with God about them.

There are several things that happen when we approach God with issues. First, we invite his participation in them. That is, we give him permission to intervene and interfere in our affairs. So, he has room to orchestrate whatever concerns us to produce the best possible outcome.

Second, we can ask for and receive wisdom. This has a couple of effects. He is able to give us understanding from his point of view. We might even get a brand new point of view. We also see how we need to respond, what our attitude should be, or if there is any action we should initiate.

Prayer should lead in a change in how we view problems, and how we approach solutions to problems. I don’t know if this means we need to be happy with whatever is facing us, but we should be able to face it with confidence and positive expectations.

Discipleship - IX

Two, there was a tremendous passion for Jesus.

We all know people who seem to drip Jesus from their pores. They exhale Jesus. They give positive testimony to in Jesus in a natural, unforced, unembarrassed, non-cheesy way. While the rest of us stumble, fall on our faces and cannot move our tongues in any sort of coherent, understandable manner. Yet, one does not need  to read the New Testament too long before one realizes every follower of Jesus should proclaim Jesus, and it should flow out of a heart filled by Jesus.

In the first church, the difference resided in the heart. People had just had their world turned upside down by  the resurrection of Jesus. This personal revolution made speaking about Jesus a natural, obvious part of a person's life.

Training and evangelism programs can make positive additions to the church's ability to impact the world with the gospel. But the world will really be impacted forthe gospel by lives that have undergone a Jesus revolution.

Many churches realize this, but attempt to start the fire by meetings and speakers that supercharge the emotions. Human beings cannot sustain or continue to exist on supercharged emotions. This does not mean that emotions are wrong per se. The revolution must be continued on the deeper levels of the heart and spirit. And it is the Word and the Holy Spirit that works in these areas.

So, the question becomes, not what can we do to work ourselves into a frenzy, but how can we cooperate with God in changing our hearts?

I recently read a book where the writer wrestled with the question. His suggestion was to meet in very small groups, where people can be very open, honest and vulnerable about their spiritual walk, discuss the scripture they read (after repetitive reading of large amounts of scripture) and praying together for needs, but especially for people without a relationship with Jesus

Discipleship - VIII

It was community life around Jesus that had a continuing persuasive effect on the other people in Jerusalem. Each day, people were choosing to follow Jesus.

Is this true in your city? I have heard people lament this lack of harvest. People throw up their hands and shake their heads are the hard and resistant hearts.

But Jesus said the harvest was ready! Why did the apostles experience this “reaping” that has not been seen on this on-going scale since. (Meaning there were short time frames that have equaled … or, at least, were close.)

I think there were two reasons. One, Jesus had spent the last three years abundantly sowing. It is obvious – there has to be abundant sowing, if there is going to be abundant reaping. The apostles profited from Jesus’ labor. At some point, the seed Jesus sowed ran out. The apostles continued to sow; so they continued to reap. But the sowing stopped; so the reaping stopped.

Two, there was …

Discipleship - VII

They also seem to hang out together a lot. They worshiped daily in the temple. They met in homes to eat together and share the Lord’s Supper.

Although, it does not explain what this worship looked like (one large group, many small groups, or individuals worshiping separately, but together) but there was daily contact. Maybe multiple times daily. Church life was certainly much more than 2-3 hours on a Sunday morning. More than a Wednesday night prayer meeting. More than a bi-weekly small group. I do not want to minimize these activities, but there seems to be something more.

Community life arranged around Jesus had a powerful effect. Even, though they were Jews, they were from diverse backgrounds and cultures. They got along. They were generous to each other. They were hospitable to each other. And they interacted in ways that were positive demonstrations of Jesus.

Discipleship -VI

The next part of the picture says that the early church got together and everyone shared what they had. They sold possesions and property to provide for people in need.

The picture is of a very open-hearted, open-handed people. There was a genuine concern for one another. There was a genuine desire to help, to meet needs.

A community is born. A family is born. Other parts of the picture emphasize the fact also. People from a large swath of the middle east, Europe,  Asia,  and possibly Africa,  join together across culteral barriers to become genuinely involved in one another's lives.

Like people naturally attract. But, here, people from different backgrounds,  languages and cultures were drawn together, based on a connection of a hunger to learn about this Jesus, and the Holy Spirit forging a heart chain between them. And they sacrificed for the good of each other.

Discipleship - V

Then, the description seems to shift. It doesn’t describe the things the early church practiced, as it tries to paint a picture of what early church life looked like.

There continued to be supernatural events, as when Jesus lived. Healings. Miracles. The blind see and the lame walk. May be resurrections from the dead.

The apostle’s faith was strong. They had seen Jesus’ works. They were confident about what was possible. The Spirit moved freely in their lives.

Many people today do not see nor expect to see any supernatural events. Have we lost faith? Have we explained away anything supernatural by our “scientific,” sophisticated, tainted with materialism, world-views? Or did Jesus “prime the pump?” Or in other words, did Jesus’ faith. Love, prayers, expectations and perspective act as seed – like seeding rain clouds – to the supernatural? Because of the way he lived, the supernatural was more predisposed to break through into the world?

I know some people who believe that he “primed the pump” at least in one area … that we will look at very shortly.

Discipleship -IV

The next item is "prayer." As we have written recently, prayer is conversation with God. It is the place where man can open his heart freely to God, focusing his heart toward God.  Here God confirms his words, his intentions with man. He confirms a man's purpose,  a man's place in God's world,  God's life and God's mission.

Man also invites God to act in the areas of his concern. He invites God into his family, his work, his neighborhood,  his hobbies, his goals, and his pursuits.

And it is perfectly permissible to invite God into the every day, mundane events of life. A person might get a parking place quicker. Or a trip to the grocery store might move from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Discipleship - III

The third item is “the breaking of bread.” Jesus instituted the breaking of bread to fulfill the same function in the Christian arena, that Passover does in the Jewish arena, or Thanksgiving should do in America. Passover is a yearly celebration of a great deliverance of the Jewish nation. Jews meet to celebrate, to reflect on, and to almost relive this deliverance over again.

 

Jesus intended break bread to have the same celebratory, reflective and reliving capacities. It was packaged in a simpler way so it could be pjracticed more frequently and taken into every context.

 

Events, both wonderful and horrific, tend to fade in the human memory. That’s a good thing for most part, especially in horrific cases. There are cases of people who get caught up in a tragedy. As a result, they are unable to ocntinue with normal living. This natural forgetfulness is a compensating mechanism, allowing people to move on.

 

But there are some event that should not be forgotten, should not fade. (Some of these may include the horrific too.) some events are transforming. Some events are revelutionary. But they need reflection, serious consideration and then, lead to conscious, intentional decisions to change, or to continue on a particular course.

 

Breaking bread should lead us back to the Cross, our decision to follow Jesus and the life changes since that decision.

Discipleship - II

The second thing the disciples focused on was spending time with their new family.  The term the Bible uses is "fellowship."

Fellowship was more than just hanging out, watching TV and eating pizza. There was a sharing and a participation in each other's lives. It does not preclude hanging out, watc hing TV or eating pizza. It just includes much more. It is the definition of living in God's  family.

It almost takes the rest of the New Testament to fully define what this type of family life means.

It is a life of mutual love, service ad giving. It is a life of building, encouraging and seeing potential in people. It lives outside of the normal cultural, but also becomes the ideals of that culture. It means working God's mission together.

It was the radical nature of their life together that affected their neighbors, and their cities. It is this living in God's family, as God's family, that can show what it means to be a Jesus follower.

Discipleship

As always, because of the juxtaposition of a few things, I find myself wondering what does God think a disciple is.

In the Bible, there is a history of the early church, beginning with the ascension of Jesus and continuing with the lives of his earliest and closest followers. Right at the beginning, there is a list of things these followers focused on, were committed to be engaged in, and the characteristics of their lives.

First, they focused on the apostle's teaching. What was God saying to people? What was his message to his family, his followers?

Disciples need to hear what God says. True transformation is powered by the Holy Spirit, and falls within the boundaries of the Bible. I have mentioned God's design of people a lot. I don't think that God quite puts "schematics" in the Bible. (For one, people are so different from one another.) But if people obey what the Spirit guides them into, from the Bible, the Spirit will empower transformation, and the restoration of God's original design in people. (Though it will be a continuing work in progress in this life.)

Not only is there direction for personal transformation, but there is direction for the whole family of God, and direction for his mission.