Cross Talks #5

THE “IFS” AND “BUTS” OF

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

Very early on Sunday morning, a group of women left the city carrying armloads of spices. When they arrived at the place of burial, they noted that the sun had peeked over the horizon casting a golden hew on the scene. The birds had been singing their morning song for an hour already. A gentle mist floated above the ground where some soldiers slept. Two other soldiers stood guard outside the tomb of the one the women sought.

            A heavy stone overwhelmed the entrance to the tomb. An unbroken imperial seal of Roman origin indicated that the stone had not moved. The guards themselves appeared gruff and unwelcoming. Would the guards help them move the stone to anoint the body with perfumes and spices? Trembling, they broached the question. No, the soldiers replied, this tomb will not be opened for anyone, by order of the governor.

            With ceaseless sorrow added to sorrow, the women left the tomb and headed home, leaving the one they loved uncared for in a borrowed tomb. Jesus of Nazareth was dead. And he did not rise on the third day, as he said he would.

            That’s the story of Jesus’ death without the resurrection. Makes for a depressing story doesn’t it?

            What if Jesus was not raised from the dead? This sounds like a question born of doubt. But it is actually a biblical question. Paul uses the word “if” to show us how much hangs on the bodily resurrection of our Lord. This little word, “if,” challenges us to think of the possibilities.

            What difference would it have made if Jesus had not risen from the dead?

            We talk about the cross of Christ, his death and what that accomplished. But what does the resurrection add to the redemption story? Paul presents us with a problem in 1 Corinthians 15:12-13, then gives us six history-changing facts if Jesus was not raised. Let’s explores the “ifs” and “buts.”

The Problem: What if there is no resurrection?

The Corinthians had a peculiar issue with the resurrection of Jesus. They believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, but they did not believe that there was a general resurrection where they would all rise from the dead. It seems strange to us that they would accept the first part but not the second. We see them as linked. But according to Paul in v. 12 that is exactly what they are saying.

            Paul just finished writing to them about the death of Jesus, as foretold in the prophets, and that he was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures. They believed that, but they didn’t believe that Christians would one day rise from the dead. There were several reasons for this: false teaching, a faulty understanding of the Second Coming of Christ, etc.

            But Paul contends with their faulty logic. If you believe that Christ was raised from the dead, is that not evidence of the resurrection of all people? If you deny the resurrection of dead there are serious consequences to that thinking. “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised” (13).

            Paul’s logic is clear. The two facts are woven together. If human bodies cannot survive death, then Christ’s body did not survive death, because having a human body (flesh and blood) just like ours, you can’t argue, “Well, he rose, but we can’t.” If Christ was not raised from the dead there is no hope for our resurrection. But if Christ was raised then we will be raised from the dead also. The two cannot be separated.

            Underlying their logic was Greek thinking. Greek philosophy taught that all things physical were evil or corrupt. The Corinthians thus could not fathom that these bodies were of any use after we died. All things physical were but a shadow of the spiritual reality in heaven. Why would God want to raise our sinful, dying bodies from the grave after our death? But if these bodies are worthless, of no use in the spiritual realm, then Christ has not been raised either.

The Consequences

Paul continues to unpack their faulty logic with “if” statements. What would the world be like if Christ had not been raised? What if the women had found the tomb as I described it in the beginning? What would the church be like today without the risen Christ?

            There are six consequences of such a scenario:

1. Our preaching is a waste of time – Paul uses the word “vain” which means “empty” or “having no substance.” All the messages you have heard, all the services you have attended, all the Christian books you have read – all of it – would be a total waste of time if Jesus was not raised.

            But some would say that we still have Jesus’ teachings. The Sermon on the Mount is good ethical stuff – how to treat each other. Jesus would have died for our sins, even if he is not alive, right?

            Trouble is, Jesus said he would rise again. He said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will build it again” and he was talking about his body. So since he did not rise again he’s kind of a liar, or deluded. And that makes his teaching null and void.

2. Our faith is useless – If we say that Christ died for our sins, but the resurrection is just a bonus, we miss out on a huge piece of the gospel. If Christ died for our sins, how do we know that his death actually accomplished anything? If Christ remained in the tomb, we would never know if God had accepted his sacrifice. The atonement would be without validation.

            Why go to church if our faith is only about ethical living? Why study the Bible if it’s just a book of outdated rules? Why pray if we don’t have access to God through Christ? Our faith is pretty flimsy.

3. We are false witnesses of God – As one writer put it, if the resurrection never happened, the apostles are the world’s greatest liars. And preachers, we are telling people that Jesus rose from the dead. Well, if God did not raise Jesus from the dead and we are telling everyone he did, then we are obviously saying things about God that aren’t true. Paul himself declared, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (4:1-2). This is a serious charge of slander, in that case.

4. We are still sinners – Now it’s getting personal. If Christ has not been raised from the dead “your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (17). If there is a God, we will have to stand before him and be judged because without the resurrection there is no forgiveness of sins. Paul makes the argument in Romans that Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (4:25). Without the resurrection there is no justification – our sins have not been dealt with. As a result, there is no mercy for you and me. And without the living Christ, there is no advocate before the throne of God to defend us from Satan’s accusations, to say “I’ve paid the penalty.”

5. Our loved ones are lost forever – Paul says that those who have died have “fallen asleep in Christ.” The Greek word for “fallen asleep” is koimao, the root of koimeteria, from which we get the English word “cemetery.” So “cemetery” means “the sleeping place,” something deeply significant for Christians who believe in the resurrection. When you go to sleep, you expect to wake up. Christians have this hope that dying is sleeping, and sleeping we will awake to the Day of the Lord, the day of resurrection.

            But if Christ has not been raised, everyone who dies perishes. You can take that different ways. To some “perish” is to cease to exist; to others it is an eternity of torment. Either way it does not give us hope for a good post-death experience.

6. We are pathetic – Finally, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (19). If Christ has not been raised from the dead, why are we following a man who lied to us? Let me ask you this: Would you still be a Christian if there is no resurrection?

            If Christ has not been raised, then we have no message to preach.

            If Christ has not been raised, there is no God to hear our prayers.

            If Christ has not been raised, we are not saved.

            If Christ has not been raised, we might as well bring the missionaries home.

            If Christ has not been raised, Christianity is a joke and a farce that no one should even consider.

“BUT” – The Great Reversal

Paul has made his point. He has dismantled the foolish argument of a limited resurrection. And he turns this whole thing on its head when he says, “BUT in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (20).

            You have heard of the term “firstfruits” before; it refers to the first part of any harvest. For the Israelites in the OT, it meant the first part of the barley harvest or some other crop that was offered to the Lord. It was a day of thanksgiving and gladness because it meant that there was a bigger harvest yet to come. What the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead means then is that one day all who have died will be raised to life.

            Paul makes it very clear in the following verses of 1 Corinthians 15 that death will be destroyed (26) and that our bodies will be raised up and transformed (35-41). A lot of Christians look shocked when I tell them this: God’s not done with your body. We put it in the ground when you die, but, Paul says, at the sound of the trumpet, we will be raised with imperishable bodies (52). Heaven is not going to be full of disembodied spirits floating around; we will have bodies. We will have bodies because Christ’s body was raised to life. (And we won’t be living in heaven – heaven is the dwelling of God. We will be living on the new earth, which will somehow overlap the new heaven: Rev. 21:1-4).

            All of this will happen because Jesus is alive. The resurrection of Jesus is the exclamation point of God’s joy and celebration of what Christ did in dying for humankind. Christ is alive – he lives for us, to deliver us powerfully from sin and death.

            So because of this great reversal, all the “ifs” are turned over by the joyful “But in fact…” Therefore:

Our preaching has purpose. Testify about the hope we have in the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Our faith is powerful. Believing in the risen Jesus gives credibility to our faith.

We testify that God raises the dead. And we are not misrepresenting God because he had done it.

We are forgiven and free. We are no longer slaves to sin. Jesus has set us free by his death AND resurrection. That is the whole gospel.

Our loved ones in Christ ARE with the Lord. We do not grieve like the rest of humankind that has no hope for we believe that Jesus is coming back to raise the dead from their sleep.

We are to be envied for the hope we have in Christ! For there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved in such an awesome way.

Timothy Keller said of the resurrection: “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said. If he did not rise from the dead then why worry about any of what he said. The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching, but whether or not he rose from the dead.”

What more can I say?

            “Up from the grave He arose

            With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,

            He arose a victor o’er the dark domain,

            And He lives forever with His saints to reign!

            He arose! He arose!

            Hallelujah! Christ arose!

                                                AMEN 

Cross Talks #4

HOW THE CROSS IMPACTS YOU TODAY

What does the cross mean for you?

            We see it on a building we call “the church.” We see it hanging from necklaces and emblazoned as a tattoo on the skin. We see it as earrings or bumper stickers. Sometimes we see the cross hanging from the ear of a heavy metal singer. I’m not sure what the cross means in any of those places.

            The pop singer, Madonna, once said, “It’s sexy to wear a crucifix because there’s a naked man on it.” Her statement reflects a sick movement in secular rock music to empty the cross of its meaning. Unfortunately, the movement began in the church. The cross used to stand for Jesus – the suffering of Jesus. Now it adorns business cards and buildings for an institution that is often afraid to speak of the cross.

            What is the cross? It is a horrid form of execution. Thousands have died on that rough instrument. But one man died on his cross and forever changed its importance to the world. Now it is the center of the universe, the nexus of history, the most meaningful event that ever took place. Someone went so far as to say the crucifixion of Jesus is the only thing that ever really happened.

            The Son of God died on a cross. No one dies that way anymore. Jesus did. What does this mean for you?

            The crucifixion event was 2000 years ago, you say, what does it matter today? That is a really good question. I am glad that Jesus died for me on that horrible cross so that I could be forgiven. But that’s a past event. How does the message of the cross impact my life today and every day? Does the cross of Christ have a daily affect on my life?

            To answer this question we will turn to three passages in Galatians that will bring the cross forward to 2017.

 I have been crucified with Christ

If you could choose one verse to sum up your life, what would it be? If you could choose a verse for your tombstone, or if someone wrote a biography of your life and put one verse at the top of the preface, what verse would best summarize your experience as a Christian?

            Out of all the great verses in the Bible, I would like to suggest Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Memorization may have gone out of style but this is one we ought to know by heart.

            The first phrase “I have been crucified with Christ,” answers the question posed by Paul’s audience in Galatia: What do I need to do to maintain a relationship with God? In verses 15-16 we get the impression that some people were pressing for rules to be set up so that Christians would live the “right way.” You know I am talking about the Jews and their law. But you also know that we as 21^st century Christians also like to set up rules to determine who is in and who is out as far as authentic Christianity is concerned. I am guilty of this; we are all guilty of this.

            So Paul’s answer to the need for a righteousness that comes through the law and doing the right things is this: I have been crucified with Christ. But what does that mean?

            A young man approached AW Tozer and asked, “What does it mean as far as this life is concerned to be ‘crucified with Christ’?” Tozer replied, “It means three things: (1) a man on a cross is facing in only one direction; (2) he is not going back(goodbye to the past and past life) ; and (3) he has no further plans of his own.”

            What Tozer identified in crucifixion is the “death” aspect. When a man gets nailed to a cross he is going to die. And when he is dead, his obligations and debts and expectations of the past life are null and void. Dead is dead.

            Paul writes that to put our trust in Christ is to die with him. We join him in his death on the cross; we join him in the tomb; and we join him in his resurrection. This is what baptism symbolizes according to Romans 6:4-6 (read).

            That’s fine, you might say, we are figuratively dead, but you and I know I am very much alive. I haven’t actually died. No, but by believing in Jesus and identifying with his death on the cross in the past we receive the spiritual benefits of the cross as a present reality. We are dead.

            What does that mean? It means that you are dead to the law and there is nothing you can do or need to do to make God love you any more than he already does. You no longer live in frustration; Christ who perfectly satisfies the Father lives in you. Now we live by faith in the finished work of Christ and not in our feeble efforts.

I am daily crucifying my sinful nature

Now that we are united with Christ in his death, the old life is finished. You are a new creation. As a new creation you do not want to continue living as you did before. You have a new life through faith in Christ. With Christ living in us, he gives us new desires for holiness, for God, and for God’s kingdom. It is not that we cannot sin again – we certainly can and do. But we don’t want to.[i]

            Our second verse from Galatians explains the result of being crucified with Christ. “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (5:24).

            Note the difference in actions. “I have been crucified with Christ,” denotes a perfect tense where being crucified is something that was done to us through faith. Here, we are the ones doing the crucifying. We are crucifying the flesh, or the sinful nature, that inner desire to do what we want when we want no matter who it hurts, God included. We are killing that nature.

            Paul is borrowing this imagery from Luke 9:23 where Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Jesus uses a vivid figure of speech to talk about self-denial. The intention is that we will take up our cross and not only walk with it, but make sure that the execution takes place. We are to take that sinful self and nail it to the cross.

            What attitude ought we to have in the crucifixion of our flesh or sinful nature? There are three aspects of this attitude:

1) A Christian’s rejection of the old nature is to be pitiless. This Roman form of execution is not nice and it was not administered to nice people. It was reserved for the worst criminals. To crucify the old self means to treat the old tendencies ruthlessly and deserving of crucifixion.

2) A Christian’s rejection of the old nature will be painful. Breaking away from the past and old habits that have become a part of your old lifestyle or rituals will not be easy. Crucifixion is painful.

3) A Christian’s rejection of the old nature is to be decisive. Crucifixion was a lingering death, but it was a certain death. Criminals nailed to a cross did not survive. We will not succeed in destroying the old nature in this lifetime, but we have nailed it to the cross. And if it slips off, we nail it back on.

            The reason Jesus said that we need to take up our cross daily is for this very purpose. We must renew every day this attitude towards sin. Paul implored the believers in Rome to reject sinful practices as those who have been crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:12-14).

            Some sins we will defeat in this life; others will entice us till we die. Our sins want to be justified. We nailed them to the cross but they question our resolve, “Was it really a sin?” Sin wants to be let loose because “it’s not that bad” and “there are worse things.” But you know in your heart that it is sin and you must resolve to leave the nails in its hide.

I am crucified to the world

If the effect of being crucified with Christ is that we want to crucify the old nature, we are also essentially cutting ties with the world. By “the world” I mean the spirit of the age that rules how people think and act.

            Paul concludes his letter to the Galatians with this very thought, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (6:14). That means that as a person who has Christ living in me, I don’t have to live according to the standard of the world. I don’t have to act like a person driven by the ambitions and desires of the world.

            To “boast,” as Paul puts it, has no English equivalent. It means to “glory in,” “trust in,” “rejoice or revel in,” or “live for.” The object of our boast fills our horizons, engrosses our attention, and absorbs our time and energy. In short, our “glory” is our obsession.[ii]

            What are we obsessed with? Money? Business? Does your work consume your schedule? Power? Do you want to be in control? The false teachers in Galatia were obsessed with their number of converts (6:13).

            Ed Neufeld shocked his audience at the SBC Leadership Conference last March when he declared that Paul never told the churches in the NT to evangelize. Paul was never concerned with numbers. But Ed did say that Paul was concerned about the believers being faithful. Churches today are obsessed with numbers; Paul was concerned with faithfulness. True church growth has to do with following Christ, not a program for retaining newcomers.

            A man once asked D.L. Moody, “Now that I am converted, must I give up the world?” “No,” answered Moody, you need not give up the world. If you give a ringing testimony for the Son of God, the world will give you up pretty quick. They will not want you around.”

            We don’t want to purposely turn people off. But if crucify the values of the world and live by Kingdom values there will be an obvious discrepancy in how they live and how we live, the choices they make and the choices we make. If we live by the cross we will be peculiar. Not to make peculiarity the goal of our faith, I do have to ask, does the cross of Christ make us stand out from other people?

            I am crucified to the world. Dead to it. So I take on a different view of the meaning of life and the pleasures therein. Consider John’s warning in 1 John 2:15-17. If we are dead to the world and alive to Christ, this world has less of a hold on us.

What does the cross mean to you?

            I am embarrassed to tell you that I wear a gold cross around my neck. I’m embarrassed because it really doesn’t cross my mind (no pun intended). My cross hangs beside a symbol of my 2010 grad and my 2016 grad. What does that symbolize? I don’t know. I think I wanted a reminder of my faith poking me from time to time (when I played hockey, the cross would sometimes turn sideways and stab me).

            Perhaps we need to be stabbed now and then. Wake up! We are driving the vehicle of faith in neutral. The violence of the cross is jolting. It is not stainless steel symbol that we can swipe a Clorox wipe over and clean it up. It is messy and bloody and costly and real.

            Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He wants us to come and join him in dying to this world. He wants us to live the new and abundant life of the resurrected. Will you pick up your cross and follow after Him?

                                                                        AMEN

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[i] John Stott, The Message of Galatians BST, 66.

[ii] John Stott, The Cross of Christ, 349ff.

Cross Talks #3

RECONCILED

“Reconciliation” is one of the sweetest words in the context of relationship. Anyone who has suffered a disruption in relationship longs for reconciliation. “Reconciliation” is also often misunderstood.

            Two people who have not seen each other for years because of job or distance or other circumstances cannot be said to be reconciled when they finally meet. That is not reconciliation; that is reunion.

            And if you have a friend or family member who has wounded you somehow and they don’t admit it, and you decide to pretend it never happened, you are not reconciled. You might call that forgiveness, but it is not reconciliation. The issue has not been confronted; the matter is not settled.

            To “reconcile” is to bring enemies into a state of friendship, to overcome alienation, and to create a mutual compassion. Reconciliation is the healing of broken relationships, the settling of the cause of their hostility so that they can live together.[i]

            If you have been alienated in some way, and known the cold shoulder and icy remarks of one you formerly loved, and if you know that insurmountable chasm that separates you from your friend, sister, brother, etc., then you long for reconciliation.

            And this is why, of all the metaphors for the application of the cross of Christ, reconciliation is the most popular image. We get it. “Propitiation” is temple language; “redemption” is slave language; “justification” is legal language – but “reconciliation” is the most personal. This is heart language; this is the language of home, of family, or of relationship.

            So the question we want to look at this morning from 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 is this: How does the image of reconciliation help us to understand the impact of the cross of Christ in our lives?

God Made the First Move

The first thing we need to know about reconciliation is that we have been reconciled to God. Our relationship with God was disrupted by sin. And sin rendered us powerless; it stole our desire to come to God; sin made us resistant to God’s person; and therefore we were hostile to God. We were enemies of God. The result of our sin may surprise you, but God was not too happy with us. We were his enemies.

            Here is where things get quite odd. God is the offended party. The problem of sin is incomparably more serious on his side than on ours. If I were an offended party, my natural human reaction would be to wait until the offender apologizes and makes amends. But God doesn’t do that. God makes the first move. God initiates reconciliation.

            Paul uses clear language to tell us this: “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled himself to us…” (18a) and “in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself…” (19a). God is the subject of these verses; God does the acting. God reconciles; God gives; God appeals. We may feel some remorse and want to apologize, but in reality we were powerless to do so. We have nothing to offer, to contribute, to plead – God does it all. The only thing I can contribute to reconciliation and my redemption is my sin.[ii]

            God is the author of reconciliation. And since we were in a helpless position, only God could remove the cause of his own anger against us. And he did this when we were his enemies, (see Romans 5:8, 10-11). How remarkable is that?

            In 1492, two Irish families, the Ormonds and the Kildares, were in the midst of a bitter feud. The feud became an all-out fight, with the Kildares besieging the Ormands. The Earl of Ormand and his family finally took refuge in the chapter house of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. But the Earl of Kildare realized that the fighting was getting out of control. These two families worshiped the same God, in the same church, but were trying to kill each other. Kildare called out to Ormand and promised not to seek revenge or try anything nasty. He wanted the feud to be over. But the Earl of Ormand thought it was a trick and refused to come out. So Kildare used his spear and hacked a hole in the door and thrust his arm through. After a tense moment, his hand was grasped by another on the inside. The door opened and the two men embraced, ending the feud.

            God took the initiative and chopped a hole through the hostility that separated us from himself and offered his hand.

Christ was the Means of Reconciliation

If God was the author of reconciliation with us, Christ was the means through which he accomplished reconciliation.

            Again, the language Paul uses clearly makes Jesus the agent of reconciliation. “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself…” (18b).

            Notice that the event of reconciliation is past tense. We have been reconciled to God through Christ.

            The first thing to note affirms what we have already said: God was doing something here and he did it through Christ.

            The second thing we should note is not detectable in English. The tense indicates that the work of reconciliation is a finished work. It’s complete. There’s nothing more to add. It is not something which is being done (like sanctification) but something that is simply done – finished. What Christ did on the cross was more than enough to bridge that chasm, that mountain, that obstacle that kept us from God. It is no wonder that Jesus cried, “It is finished!”

            Once more, as if to emphasize the point, Paul reiterates that God accomplished reconciliation with Christ as the agent. “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them…” (19a). This is almost word-for-word with v. 18 but with subtle differences.           Paul first said “through Christ” but now says “In Christ God…” inferring that this act was a Father-Son work. It would be wrong to think, as some have thought, that God’s anger would not be satisfied until his own Son hung grotesquely bleeding from a cross. Jesus did not have to die to convince his Father to stay his wrath from us. Rather, we see a mysterious oneness in Father and Son as they work to bring reconciliation to bear.            Of Christ it is written, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:19-20).        

            That Paul now references the world reveals that God’s intention was that reconciliation was meant to be universal. The hand thrust through the door of reconciliation must be grasped, however. You and I must receive in faith what Christ has done.

            But wait, what has God in Christ done for us? Paul wrote, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin…” (21a). To be honest, I either forget this profound truth or cannot grasp the impact of it in my life. So I don’t blame you if you struggle with this concept. Christ became sin, not that he sinned, but took on our sin and became as one who bore all our sin.

            A young monk was struggling with his own sins and was quite distressed. Martin Luther wrote to this monk and said this, “Learn to know Christ and him crucified. Learn to sing to him and say ‘Lord Jesus, you are my righteousness, I am your sin. You took on you what was mine; yet set on me what was yours. You became what you were not, that I might become what I was not.”

            How do you grasp that? Yet here it is. Our sins are not counted against us. The Psalmist said, “If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O LORD, who could stand” (Ps 130:3). Jesus became sin “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (21b).

            I believe Luther’s advice is worth meditating upon.

We are the Medium of the Message

Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “the medium is the message.” You may have heard of this before. It means that the medium conveys the message so closely that the characteristics of the medium reflect the message itself.

            That’s kind of what Paul means when it comes to the ministry of reconciliation. First he says, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (18). Then he adds that God entrusted “to us the message of reconciliation” (19c). And finally, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (20).

            What does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ? It means to represent Christ with authority. That authority comes not solely from presenting the King’s message, but more so from being the King’s message. On the one hand, yes, we proclaim that God in Christ reconciled the world to himself. But on the other hand, we demonstrate what that means in ourselves.

            Paul said, “Be reconciled to God.” That’s the first step. Then the second step is to show that we have grasped the meaning of reconciliation in our own relationships. For you see, it is impossible to be reconciled to God while remaining unreconciled to one another.

            Remember Jesus’ parable of the unmerciful servant (Mt. 18:21-35)? The king forgave the servant’s debt amounting to millions of dollars, but this servant turned on a fellow servant who owed him only a few bucks. What he demonstrated was a failure to appreciate mercy by showing mercy to others.

            In the same way, God has shown incredible love by reaching out to us through Christ, paying the price for our sin on the cross, and reconciling us to himself. We cannot be the church of Christ, proclaim the message of reconciliation, without being reconciled first to God, and then to each other. To live in estrangement from fellow believers alienates you not only from those people but from God as well. That’s the negative angle.

            The positive angle is that when we do forgive one another, make peace in our relationships, and walk together in love, we become the message of reconciliation. People will see that we are followers of Jesus when we love one another.

There is a difference between reconciliation and forgiveness. On the cross, Jesus provided for the forgiveness of everyone. But not everyone will be reconciled with him because they will not accept what Christ is offering them.

            The same is true for you and I. You can forgive someone who hurts you, even if they don’t seek reconciliation. But there won’t be reconciliation unless you can overcome the enmity that exists between you.

            If we follow God’s model – and it won’t be easy – we will reach out to the one who offended us and talk, work it out, and find resolution. You might wait a long time for the other person to apologize if you don’t reach out.

            I think that pride blinds us to the reality of most situations. Unlike God, we are not totally without blame. In fact, because of misunderstanding or missing facts, we all share in the causing of the wound. Because I have a sensitive conscience, I have at times been racked with conviction. I have felt more righteous than I should. Then, when I can’t stand it anymore, I go and apologize for my part in the trouble. I don’t like being wrong. But I often have something that I am wrong about in those situations. My belief is that both sides need to come clean and forgive each other.

            How does the message of reconciliation help us to understand the impact of the cross? It is life-changing. It can free you from your sin and guilt when you realize how much God loved you even when you were his enemy. And it can free you from the unnecessary antagonism you feel in so many of your relationships. Let me say this: In this church, there cannot be unreconciled relationships. Be reconciled to God; Be reconciled to each other, in the name of Christ.

                                                            AMEN

           

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[i] Derek Tidball, The Message of the Cross  BST (adapted), 219.

[ii] John Stott, The Cross of Christ, 197.

Cross Talks #1 Genesis 22:1-19

“THE LORD WILL PROVIDE”

A young woman brought her fiancé home to meet her parents for thanksgiving dinner. After dinner, her mother told her father to find out about the young man. The father invited the fiancé to his study for a talk.

            "So what are your plans?" the father asked the young man. "I am a biblical scholar," he replied.

            "A Biblical scholar. Hmmm," the father said. "Admirable, but what will you do to provide a nice house for my daughter to live in?"

            "I will study," the young man replied, "and God will provide for us." The father asked about a ring, about children, and many other pertinent questions. And each time the father asked a question like this, the young man would reply that as he continued his studies, God would provide.

            Later, the mother asked, "How did it go, Honey?" The father answered, "He has no job and no plans, and he thinks I’m God!"

            When we face the difficulties of life we want to believe that the Lord will provide. But what does that mean, “The Lord will provide”? You have had troubles in your life that seemed to have no answer, no relief, no deliverance. You have gone through trials that didn’t make sense. Yes, at times our troubles are a result of our sin and we experience the consequences of those actions. But the trials without cause and, worse, without explanation, are the ones that vex us.

            We can only imagine the distress that Abraham felt when God told him to sacrifice his son. No reason is given to Abraham except that God commanded him. The narrator of Genesis 22 calls it a “test” but Abraham only hears this odd command. We know nothing of his emotions. We only see that Abraham acts in obedience and we wonder what we would do in that situation. Our hearts would rip at the thought of giving up a child. But Abraham went as he was told believing all along that somehow “the Lord will provide.”

In our lesson today, we will look at this event from three perspectives: Abraham’s, Isaac’s and the Lord’s. At the conclusion I will offer a “punch-line.”

A Father’s Costly Sacrifice

We are told in Genesis 22:1 that God initiated the test of Abraham. Did God not know the heart of Abraham? Is there anything that God does not know? It seems that at various times in the OT God tests his people. It is not that God does not know their hearts, but in this case it could be said that Abraham did not know his own heart.

            So God tested Abraham. God tells him to take his son, Isaac, and offer him as a burnt offering in the land of Moriah. Now you know that Isaac was a special son. Abraham and Sarah had waited for this child of promise until they were long in years. All their hopes and dreams rested on this child. Through Isaac, the promises of legacy and posterity would be fulfilled according to God’s own word. Now God says, “Worship me while his body burns on the altar.”

            What does Abraham do? He displays unhesitating obedience. He gets up early in the morning and prepares for the three day journey to Moriah. He did not procrastinate or look for a way out. He did not resist or question God. Remember when God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham comically argued with God about saving the cities if there were found some righteous people living in them. Here he does not argue with God.

            When they get to the mountain that God indicated, Abraham leaves the two servants and the donkey at the base. Then he says something profound. “We will go over there and worship and come again to you.” He says “we will worship;” he doesn’t say “I’m going to kill my son.” Abraham expresses unquestioning faith. He and his son were going to enter more fully than ever into the presence of God. They were going to worship God, be found in his presence, not groveling and pleading for a pardon, but loving the Lord as God in worship.

            Was Abraham fooling himself? Was he trying to deceive the servants and Isaac? No, he meant what he said. By faith in God, Abraham believed what he said, “we will return.” On what was this hope based? After three days of traveling and wrestling in his heart, Abraham must have concluded that God’s command and God’s promise would not and could not violate each other and that if necessary God would raise Isaac from the dead. That’s what the writer of Hebrews tells us (11:19). Although no one had ever been raised from the dead in Abraham’s time, he seemed to have faith that God would raise his son from the dead.

            This is the only explanation for Abraham’s complete and total obedience. He fully intended to go up to the mountain top and slaughter his son like a lamb believing that God would do something utterly incredible. I cannot imagine having a faith like that. This father must have loved God more than anything to give up his son like this.

A Son’s Willing Submission

Now look at this drama from Isaac’s perspective. Notice how God describes Isaac when he commands Abraham to sacrifice his son. “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love…” God says, and twice more calls him “your son, your only son.” In this first instance, God uses four descriptors for Isaac to emphasize the importance of this young man.

            Isaac is not Abraham’s only son. Ishmael was born to Abraham through Hagar as his first born. But Ishmael was born of the flesh while Isaac was born of the promise. So God is not a senile grandpa who forgets his grandchildren’s names, he is deliberately singling out Isaac with this title “your only son.”

            That title resounds with you, doesn’t it? You know it. I believe when John wrote his gospel he had Genesis 22 in mind all the way. This is how John describes Jesus, echoing the title “only son” (John 1:14; 3:16). We are supposed to get that.

            Coming to the mountain, leaving the servants and the donkey, Abraham loads up the wood for the altar fire on Isaac’s back. Isaac bears the burden of the wood that will be used for his own funeral pyre. The Genesis Rabbah, the Jewish Midrash (like a commentary) comments that Isaac with the wood on his back is like a condemned man, carrying his own cross. That’s remarkable since this is not a Christian perspective. But the Jewish commentators confirm what we see in Abraham’s “son, his only son” heading to his execution carrying his own “cross.”

            Then Isaac asks an important question. “Where’s the lamb, dad?” Isaac is possibly in his late teens and he’s not stupid. He seems to know what’s up. They’ve got the wood, the fire…and hey, what are you doing with that knife you crazy old coot? Doesn’t it remind you of one of those cult movies where religion goes out of control and turns into a horror show? Abraham replies with our key line: “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”

            But you know what’s remarkably odd? Isaac shows a voluntary submission to being sacrificed. A strong young teenager who could easily overpower a hundred year old man allows his father to tie him up and place him on the wood. Even as he holds the knife aloft ready to plunge it down into his son’s throat, Isaac submits.

            So rather than seeing this as a gross form of child abuse, we ought to see Abraham and Isaac in harmony. They are doing this together. The narrator hints at this in v. 6 where we see that “they went both of them together.” And that is how we ought to see the cross of Christ. Our heavenly Father is not cruel in sending his Son to die on the cross for us against his will. Jesus went willingly in perfect submission to the cross. He said, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord…” (John 10:17-18a.).

            Isaac does not play the victim in this drama, but a willing participant and partner in this act of faith. He perfectly foreshadows the willingness of Jesus to go to the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

The Lord’s Gracious Provision

Now the purpose of the test is revealed. As Abraham prepares to make the fatal thrust, the Lord calls to him and stays his hand, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me” (12).

            We said that God’s testing of Abraham was really for Abraham’s benefit. The first result comes in the Lord’s affirmation of Abraham, “I know that you fear God.” What an amazing testimony to hear from God himself that we are the kind of people who fear and respect God. Secondly, in v. 18 we see that because of Abraham’s faith all the nations will be blessed. So two things we can learn and model from Abraham are 1) our faithfulness in the midst of trial pleases God, and 2) others will be blessed because of our faithfulness.

            The secret of Abraham’s faith was his confidence that the Lord would provide for him in his time of trial. The word “provide” has been key throughout the drama. “Moriah” (2) means “land of vision” or “to see” which anticipates Abraham’s expectation that the Lord will provide. Thus he can say to Isaac when Isaac asks about the missing lamb, “The Lord will provide” (8). Then when Abraham looks up and sees a ram caught in a thicket he calls the name of that place “The LORD will provide” (14). Did you catch that? He does not say the Lord provided (past tense) but the Lord WILL provide (future tense). And everyone in the narrator’s day still called that place “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” There was an expectant hope.

            As I said before, John rested his gospel heavily on this event using its terminology. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming for baptism, he declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (1:29). John the Baptist recognized that Jesus was that lamb that Abraham hoped for and believed that God would provide. Jesus testified himself that Abraham saw the day of Jesus and rejoiced (8:56).

            The father sacrifices; the son surrenders; and the Lord provides; and the nations benefit. Can you see how the cross was anticipated from the very beginning of history?

So what does it mean that “The Lord will provide”?

            If Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son to show God that his relationship to God meant more than anything in the world, at the same time believing that all was not lost when losing all for God, then we know what true faith looks like.

            We also know how much the Father in heaven loves us in that he was willing to sacrifice his Son – the perfect and willing substitute – to save us from our sins.

            If we know this and believe this in our hearts, then we can agree with Paul when he says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not give us all things?” (Rom. 8:31-32).

            If God so loved the world that he gave up his only Son, surely he will give us all that we long for in life. Isn’t that what Paul is saying? The Lord will provide.

            Let me be very direct: Some would take these words and declare that because of Christ’s sacrifice the doors are open to vibrant health and abundant wealth. God loves us and wants us to be healthy and prosperous.

            My understanding of Scripture does not allow for that kind of interpretation. If this were the case, then being fallible human creatures given easily to carnal and material pursuits, we would make gods (idols) of perfect health and sufficient wealth. We would pursue these goals as the means to a meaningful and sufficiently victorious life. Without them, we might wonder what’s wrong with our faith. We would wonder where God is in our pain.

            But because of the Father’s sacrifice, because of the cross of Christ, we don’t actually need perfect health and fabulous wealth to have a meaningful and victorious life. In fact, your life may just count for more if you go through the valley and are faithful regardless of failing health or persistent poverty.

            What did Paul mean then? How will he not give us all things? Paul was talking to discouraged followers of Jesus who struggled with sin and suffered for following Jesus. What he wanted them to know was that “The Lord will provide.” God, in Christ Jesus, will provide what we need to face any circumstance of life with the power of the cross and through the Lamb that was slain. We can face weakness and death because Christ died and rose again. We can wrestle with sin and win or lose but know that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” You will have the strength and courage of God in your weakness and fear because his grace is sufficient for you and his power is made perfect in weakness. The Lord will provide…

            In view of our lesson today, let me ask you to consider these questions this week: (verse by verse)

v. 1 – Does God test us? Is God testing you right now?

v. 2 – Is God asking you to do something painful?

v. 3 – Do we immediately obey?

v. 4 – Do we stay the course and remain faithful?

v. 5 – Can we worship God in the midst of painful trials?

vv. 6-8 Do we trust the Lord to provide us with what we need?

vv. 9-10 Can I submit to God’s plan even when I can’t make sense of it?

vv. 11-12 Can you believe that God will rejoice in your faithfulness?

            I believe it is in the great tests of life that our faith grows and that we learn to trust the Lord Jesus in a way that we never would otherwise. So be faithful…The Lord will provide!

           

                                                AMEN

Acts 15:1-21

“OUTSIDERS” WELCOME?

Do Newcomers to KEMC Feel Welcome?

Are these church signs welcoming? “Don’t let worry kill you; let the church help,” “Too hot to keep changing sign; sin bad; Jesus good; details inside,” “Honk if you love Jesus; text while driving if you want to meet him,” and “Whoever stole our A/C units, keep one, it is hot where you’re going.”

            Imagine approaching a church with a sign over the main entrance that read “Outsiders Welcome.” What would be your initial reaction? You might think that this is a church that is open to newcomers; you would expect a warm and friendly reception.

            But wait, do you really want to begin your relationship with a church that labels you an outsider from the start? Nevertheless, you decide to attend this church and see what happens. As you worship with this group of people you begin to feel that you are an outsider. Certain markers continually remind you that you are new, not from around here and uninitiated to this group’s way of doing things. You are an outsider and you begin to wonder what you have to do to be “in” or considered one of the family, as it were.

            A long time ago, I read that small communities are the hardest to break into as a newcomer. The article said it took ten years to be considered one of the pack. To a certain extent it is true. But just because it is true doesn’t mean that is how it ought to be. And in the case of the church community, where Christ welcomes all who will come to him, this is a tragic reality.

            We have read in Acts about the good news of Jesus being spread to Gentiles and how they responded with enthusiasm. The church rejoiced at the news (14:27) that God had opened the door to Gentiles. But it was one thing for the Jerusalem leaders to approve the conversion of Gentiles; it was another thing to approve conversion without circumcision and of faith in Jesus without the works of the law. Was their vision big enough to see that the gospel was bigger than their traditions, that it was good news for the whole world, that it was more than a sect but an international family of God?

            Do we have a vision that embraces our newcomers, not as guests, but as those who belong to the family of God?

What do I need to do to be “IN”?

While the church at Syrian Antioch rejoiced in Gentiles coming to faith in Christ, some men came from Jerusalem to teach them something about inclusion. They claimed to be from James (brother of Jesus, leader of the church) and to have authority to teach and correct.[i] They said, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (15:1). What they were really saying was “In order to become a Christian, you must first become a Jew.” Otherwise you are a second-class Christian, you’re not really IN.

            The issue had a socio-cultural aspect to it since faith in Christ was conceived in the Jewish context. It also had a theological aspect to it in that Jesus was born under the law, was circumcised according to tradition and he himself declared that he had come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Mt. 5:17-20). You can see their point.

            But Paul would have none of this. It was ten years since Peter helped Cornelius come to faith in Christ. Peter started eating with Gentiles; ham sandwiches and bacon and eggs. Then some Jews from the circumcision party came and put fear in him. That’s when Paul rebuked him for his hypocrisy (Gal. 2:11-14) [read 14].

            The issue of being “IN” can be clarified by a series of questions: Is the sinner saved by the grace of God in and through Christ crucified when they believe? Has Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection done everything necessary for salvation? Or are we saved partly by grace and partly by our good works and religious duty? Are Gentile believers a sect of Judaism, or authentic members of a multi-national family?

            This was the tension. A culture-clash mixed with two different views of Scripture.

            We don’t have an issue with circumcision here at KEMC, but you can’t deny that we have socio-cultural markers that make it hard to break in and belong. Sometimes it’s simply the language we use on Sunday morning. Do we call you “guests” or “newcomers”? If you are new here and we call you a guest, we might as well tag you as an “outsider.” A guest is just here for a visit; a newcomer, it is hoped, will stay.

            Is there a special code language we use in our church? Do newcomers have trouble decoding it? You better believe it. A pastor was a visiting speaker at several churches and noted this code in bulletins: “The WMU will meet in the CLC in the room where the GA’s usually meet.” We don’t do that do we? Ask a newcomer what “West of 60” is, or what 7691 means and what it’s for. How about our Multi-gen Faspa? Those are three words that the uninitiated would like explained. (I’m as much to blame as anyone for assuming we all know).

            No we don’t have something as awkward as circumcision keeping people “outside,” but we do need to evaluate the sincerity of our hospitality.

How you are “IN” with God

Paul and Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem by the church at Antioch to bear witness to Gentile evangelism. A great council of elders and apostles was held to decide the issue of whether Gentiles (non-Jews) could be followers of Christ without being circumcised or obeying the law.

            Please note that those who were of the circumcision party are called “believers” in v. 5. They knew the Scriptures and they loved the Lord, and they understood – from their perspective – that this was the right way to follow Christ.

            After intense debate, Peter (not Paul), stood up and shared his perspective of the gospel and who was IN with Jesus. These four points are timeless in considering who is IN concerning the body of believers, the church. Peter said this:

a) You’re IN by God’s choice – From the very beginning of Peter’s ministry God taught him this lesson. Peter had a vision (Acts 10) whereby God revealed his desire for non-Jews to join God’s family through faith in Christ. Peter told the council, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe” (15:7).

            The OT tells of God’s intention to draw in all the nations to his house of worship. God has always wanted to shine his light of truth on the nations (Is. 9). And when Jesus was born, old Simeon at the temple declared Jesus to be “a light for the Gentiles” (Lk 2:32). God chose you to be IN – to always be IN the family no matter what church you come to, as long as you believe in Jesus.

b) You’re IN by God’s witness – The proof of belonging rests in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Peter told the council that God himself “bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us” (15:8b). Gentiles had their hearts cleansed by the same Spirit as the Jews – there was no difference. This is where the gift of tongues was a visible token of their acceptance at that time.

c) You’re IN; no heavy yoke required – Then Peter challenges them to their faces that the effort to obey the law by trying their hardest was nothing but a burdensome yoke upon their necks. It always has been – the yoke of the law breaks the neck because no one ever came to God by being good. But the heavy yoke of the law has been replaced by the easy yoke of grace through Jesus (Mt. 11:29-30).

d) You’re IN through the grace of Jesus – Peter’s final point is the blockbuster. “But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will” (15:11). He could have said “they will be saved just as we are,” but Peter puts a twist in this statement saying, “we will be saved, just as they are.” But there is no distinction. Salvation is through faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone.

            Are you new here today? You’re IN – we love you and accept you as a brother or sister in Christ. Are you a long-time KEMCer? As one who has been IN, make the effort to draw newcomers IN, making them at home in this circle of faith and worship. Because we are all IN who have Jesus as Lord and Savior.

For the Sake of Church Harmony

Now James stands up after Paul and Barnabas to affirm what Peter said. James was the accepted leader of the Jerusalem church and people listened when he spoke.

            First, James quoted a scripture from Amos 9 and relates it to how God would seek out the Gentiles to be a part of his family. I love how these great men of faith back up what they say with the Bible.

            Then James decrees “that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God” and adds something very strange to our ears. James says that they should avoid four things: abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, abstain from sexual immorality, avoid meat from an animal that has been strangled, and from blood (which might mean murder).

            Why would James put these restrictions on the Gentiles?

            I think there are two closely linked principles here that James expresses for the sake of harmony between Jews and Gentiles in the church: We accept you, but you have to accept us too. These matters that James highlights are sensitive points for the Jews. Unity and harmony in this situation means being careful to respect what is delicate to one group.

            What does that mean for us as KEMC? It means that we want to welcome newcomers from every background into our fold and make you feel at home with us (and not just ten years from now). It also means that we have an identity at KEMC that has been shaped by many aspects. For instance, the name “Mennonite” appears on our sign. That is not a cultural reference (or it shouldn’t be) but a perspective of Christianity that can be claimed by people who don’t speak Low German or aren’t named “Friesen.” And you don’t have to eat high fat pork products to be one of us.

            We are all saved through faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone. That makes us one family.

Chapter 15 of Acts is the turning point in Luke’s book. There are subtle shifts that take place in the story to tell us something significant. In this chapter Jerusalem is still the focus of interest and Peter makes his final appearance in the story. From here on, Paul takes center stage and Jerusalem fades to the background as Rome becomes the target. But here in ch. 15 we witness the gospel being liberated from its Jewish swaddling clothes into being a message for all humankind. Jews and Gentiles are reconciled into one people of God.

            That’s an important message for the church today. All who are saved through faith in Jesus are IN. Newcomers – you shouldn’t feel odd in our midst.

            But there are some obstacles that you newcomers face and that we who have been here awhile need to erase. What are these obstacles to new people coming into this body?

·         Family networks – there may be family circles that are so large and so busy that they don’t have room or time to include new people at the dinner table. Do you have room to adopt some folks into your gatherings? (Maybe we need to promote a “Beyond Sunday Project” whereby we bring the church to weekdays).

·         Existing Friendships – The energy of our church may be given for existing members rather than identifying the needs of newcomers. We may be a friendly church in the foyer – with those we know – but be aware of the newcomer standing alone.

·         Church history – We don’t want to get bogged down in the past so that we don’t see the future. Some of us still reference former members who have not been here for a long time. To a newcomer those names don’t mean anything.           

Someone did a Twitter poll asking first-time guests why they chose not to return to a particular church. Number one on the list? Having a stand up and greet one another in the worship service. I was surprised too. It actually made guests feel uncomfortable. Others included non-genuine friendliness in church members, lack of church information, a bad church website, poor signage, and (as I mentioned before) insider church language.             

            My intention is not to bash our church. If any of us feel badly because of these lists, maybe it’s because it’s true. But I know that there is genuine warmth and a caring heart in this body of believers. I know the generosity you possess because I have received it. Above all I have witnessed a passionate love for Jesus Christ and his truth in you. So we, not I or Pete, but we, have something to share with you newcomers. Sometimes we just forget ourselves.

            I pray that we would be a church that welcomes newcomers with the hospitality and generosity that we have experienced in Christ – for his glory.

                                                                        AMEN

           

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[i] Galatians 2:11-12

Acts 13:38-52

REACTING TO THE GOSPEL:

How People May Respond When You Share the Good News

Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is a challenging task in our world today. People are generally well informed about the different faiths and ideologies through education or the internet. There exists a smorgasbord of values and beliefs that individuals tend to mash together to form their own faith system. In a context like this, what kind of reaction can we expect from people when we share the good news of Jesus?

            On our recent trip to Arizona, Sharon and I were quite set on seeing the Grand Canyon. We had traveled from the southeast corner of the state to Sedona and so, tired of driving, we chose to go on a tour of the Canyon. We imagined a busload of tourists, but to our surprise our guide showed up with a Suburban and said we were the only two who had signed up.

            Dave Reed, our guide, was a real character. He had us laughing throughout the day and often stole my camera to take pictures of us (One time when we returned to the suburban, Dave was reclined and doing knee exercises. He said he was calming himself to breathe in and out at the same time. I said, "Really?" He said, "No, I just made that up."). Dave lives in Sedona, a New Age town with psychic readings, crystals, and native spirituality.

            When I first learned that we would be alone with Dave, my first thought was “I wonder if I will be able to share the gospel with him?” I quietly prayed that I might bring Jesus into our discussion sometime in the day. Then I wondered how he would react to our faith in Jesus. Our conversation with Dave will come up again in this sermon as a means of illustrating how people may respond to the gospel.

            In Acts 13 we are introduced to the first missionary journey featuring Paul and Barnabas. As a template for future missions, Paul and Barnabas made it a habit to visit the Jews in their synagogues first before preaching more widely. Coming to Pisidian Antioch, they are asked to bring a word to the synagogue gathering. Paul begins with a history of Israel and brings it around to Jesus. We want to look first at his gospel presentation and then the reaction of the people.

Sharing the Gospel Concisely

Paul’s address to the synagogue appears to be short. He tells them about being chosen through Abraham and moves quickly to David. Then in vv. 26-33 he recounts the passion of Christ, how no one recognized him as the Messiah and asked for his death on a tree, but how God raised him from the dead.

            The punch line of Paul’s sermon comes in vv. 38-39 (read). Here he uses five words that will become the power words of his letters to the Romans and the Galatians: sin, faith, justification (“freed”), law, and grace. The message is simple and the choice is stark. God’s promise to Israel is fulfilled through Jesus crucified and raised again to life. Through him there is forgiveness of sins. Obedience to the law does not bring justification (removal of sin) because no one could obey the law perfectly – it ends up condemning you instead. Through Jesus there is justification for all who believe.

            This was the extent of the gospel Paul preached. We find it to be concise and to the point. Writing to the Corinthians Paul summed up the gospel in a nutshell (read 1 Cor. 15:3-4). Whatever else we may add to the gospel by way of explanation or testimony, the core truth is Jesus dying for our sins as the Son of God with God raising him from the dead for our justification.

            Post-modern attention spans are short. You need to make your point quickly or you will lose your audience (with any subject). I knew that if I was going to share my gospel values with Dave I had to be concise. I didn’t know how to begin, to be honest, and so I waited.

            At one point, Dave must have asked some questions about us. I shared that we were Mennonites – that surprised him considering our dress and manner (and the fact that we gave him a gratuity). Then I broke my own rule and confessed that I was a pastor (I avoid this because of the walls that might go up). To my surprise it opened up a door. I shared that we were “evangelical” Mennonites and explained that it meant we were gospel-believing Christ-centered followers of Jesus. The impact of Jesus’ death and resurrection came easily into the conversation.

Responding to the Gospel with Enthusiasm

When Paul shared this gospel truth with the Jews of Pisidian Antioch, they received the news with enthusiasm. A synagogue might have 40 solid members and the interest of this little group was raised. Three words pop out in vv. 42-43: begged, followed, urged (show on slide).

            This synagogue of Jews was a tiny island in a sea of paganism. So a word of scripture like this intrigued them. The people begged Paul and Barnabas to come again next Sabbath and to share more of the Christ. But to think that Paul and Barnabas just sat and waited from Sabbath to Sabbath before teaching again is mistaken. They will have taught all week so that Jews and devout converts (Gentiles who worshiped Yahweh) followed them. What excited them was the talk of grace, the freedom from the strictures of the law, and they urged them to keep talking about grace.

            Let’s not confuse enthusiasm or curiosity with faith. Our listeners can be politely interested in what our faith means to us. They will ask questions and even affirm us in our beliefs. That does not mean acceptance of Christ.

            There are basically four types of reactions to the gospel: Mockers who scoff at the gospel and excuse it as a gospel for weaklings; Skeptics who say “prove it to me” and want all the intellectual data before deciding to believe in Jesus; the Shamed who feel they have too many horrific things that they feel that Jesus could not forgive them; and the Seeker who wants to hear more.

            Dave was interested. But in the eleven hours we spent with Dave I could tell that he was living in a sea of choices. He didn’t believe in the power of crystals, but he and his wife had chosen to be married by an Indian medicine man. He accepted many of the truths I shared with him, but with caution. For Dave there were many ways to God, or shall we say enlightenment, and that clouded Dave’s ability to see the truth of Jesus solely. That’s really what we are dealing with as witnesses of Christ. We are encountering people who are well-informed with a variety of options; they affirm us in our beliefs but reserve the right to believe what they will.

Responding to the Gospel with Hostility

After a week of teaching in Pisidian Antioch, almost the whole city showed up at the synagogue to hear Paul and Barnabas. Those 40 Jews suddenly found thousands cramming to hear the evangelists. Many prominent synagogue members had marked seats reserved for them. Imagine the ire that was raised when they found Gentiles sitting in their seats. Imagine the jealousy aroused when the good news they thought was for them is now available to these “others.”

            So we read, “But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him” (13:45). One of the marks of true evangelism is that those who are affected by it are divided. They are either for it or against it. Neutrality is just not possible when the exclusive claims of Jesus are presented.

            For these Jews, pride was a stumbling block. The gospel robs people of any grounds for boasting. Jealousy follows since the Jews wanted everyone to stay in their system of works, to validate their way, and to affirm their status as the “religious” ones. Grace threatened all of that, grace through one man, Jesus Christ.

            Dave remarked that he wondered why we call it “the Living Bible.” I used his own illustration of the Grand Canyon. He said that you can see the Canyon thousands of times and it always looks different. The Bible is living because you can read Isaiah 53 today and see one thing, read it again next week and see another truth. The Canyon doesn’t change just how we see it. The Bible doesn’t change either.

            Then in our discussion of the merits of different faiths, I referred to the living Bible. I said, “Jesus claims exclusivity when it comes to salvation, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.’” Dave didn’t like that; he wasn’t hostile but you could see he was rattled. He resisted a little, but I said, “Dave, I didn’t say that – Jesus did.”

Responding to the Gospel with Joy

The Jews rejected the good news of Jesus as quickly as it had percolated their interest. “Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles” (13:46b).

            Note that they judged themselves unworthy of eternal life – they rejected the good news. It wasn’t taken from them; it was not withheld from them; it wasn’t hidden from them. They decided the good news was not worth the cost.

            But the Gentiles rejoiced! The way was opened to them to believe in Jesus the crucified and risen Lord and to receive eternal life. I can’t imagine the party that ensued.

            Here, though, we find a curious phrase related to their joy and belief, “and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (13:48b). Some would firmly state that this is a reference to divine election. Divine election is the belief that God chooses (appoints, elects) who will hear and believe the good news and be saved. Both John Stott and F.F. Bruce, solid commentators, reject that theology and suggest that when these Gentiles believed that they were immediately written into the Lamb’s Book of Life.

            While I and this church believe in the free will of the person to believe in Jesus apart from some sort of predetermined plan of God, I think there is a mystery in election that we don’t understand this side of heaven. God chooses us, and we choose him. It is a divine mystery. Jesus said that none come to him unless the Father draws him (John 6:44), and later in Acts 16, Luke writes that the Lord opened Lydia’s heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul (16:14). Yet I remind you that in this chapter the Jews have the mental, emotional and spiritual power to reject God. It is truly a mystery.

            The joy in this mystery is the joy of somehow being chosen by God to be saved through Jesus Christ. If he had not chosen us we could not be saved at all. For Paul says in Eph. 1:5 “In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will.” Does God choose us? Yes. Do we have the freedom to choose God? Yes. Hallelujah! And thank you to the Jews for making it possible for us to hear the gospel.

Did Dave become a follower of Jesus after our conversation? No. Did I fail in my sharing of the gospel? No. God answered my prayer in giving me an opportunity to talk about Jesus to Dave. He gave me gentleness and wisdom to share with Dave without being annoying or obnoxious.

            What I am encouraged by in this interaction is that conversion is God’s job, not mine. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the seeker. We are responsible for proclaiming the truth. What God does with those words is up to Him. But it was an affirming experience nonetheless.

            How will people react to the good news when we share it? We really have no idea. I don’t think people are as hostile as we imagine. They can be quite affirming when we talk about Jesus (hot topics are another issue – we did not talk about homosexuality – my aim was to talk about Jesus).

            What we may be afraid of is that the gospel will be offensive to our conversation partner, so we try to take the offense out of it. We make it safe and palatable and boil it down to “if you’re unhappy in life, try Jesus. He will make you happy. Don’t worry about your sin.” But that is not the Gospel. Augustine pointed this out a long time ago: “If you believe what you like in the gospel and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”

            The gospel confronts us with our sin. It also offers to every sinner the grace of God through Jesus Christ if we believe in him as the just substitute for sinners.

            Will Dave one day believe in the Son of God? I pray that he will. And I pray that I may have more opportunities to share the good news of Jesus and be content to let him do the converting.

                                                                        AMEN