Evangelism 101

Next week, I will begin to teach an 8-week course on Evangelism for a local seminary. Now the term evangelism is often a controversial term in our society. Followers of Jesus Christ are called to evangelize and so they try to share their faith with others, and yet many who do not follow Jesus Christ, believe we should keep our faith to ourselves and not try to share it with them or others. Thus the tension!

The form of the Greek word for evangelism (transliterated as “euangelion”) is in the Bible and basically means “good news”. Throughout the Old and New Testament, we see God calling His people to share the good news (His Word) to others (see below for a sample). A simple but I believe good definition of what the Bible communicates about evangelism is this: “to share the message of Jesus in both word and deed.” Throughout the ages, Christians have tempted to fulfill this call. However, we haven’t been balanced in sharing the good news for we often go to two extremes. On one hand, we think that all we need to do is preach the Bible every Sunday or on the other hand, we think that all we need to do is to do good to others. But both practices are defective, for if we practice one without the other than we fail to obey God’s call to share the good news. In fact, Jesus himself came to this world to share the good news in both word and deed. Luke 4:16-21 shows us that:

16 And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus is saying that he fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy (Isaiah 61) about the messianic servant. Jesus’ mission was proclaiming good news to the poor and liberty to the captives (meaning forgiveness of sins). He came to give sight to the physical and spiritual blind. He came to heal the sick, help the oppressed, and promote social justice.

So for Christians, if this is the way of our Savior and Lord Jesus, then this must be the way of each person who confesses Jesus Christ. We share the good news in word and deed not out of guilt or to earn His favor but out of gratitude. Our gratitude is found in this: that Jesus has shown us the good news by dying for us, taking our place and penalty for our sins on the cross. At the cross, our sins are forgiven; we are made clean, we are set free from the control of sin, we are no longer spiritually blind but brought into a personal and forever relationship with the Holy God. We receive this grace of God by faith.

Lastly, we share the good news in word and deed not because we are better than others. No, we share it in humility for we understand that we are in need of God’s mercy every day, and that we too daily struggle with problems and failures in our own lives. The good news, the message of Jesus, shows us that all are created in the image of God and yet all have failed to measure up to that image. We have received so much love from God through Jesus that we want to share Jesus’ message to others in word and deed.

So with the help of our Lord Jesus Himself, let us grow in sharing the message of Jesus in word and deed. I end with this encouragement from Jerram Barrs in his book The Heart of Evangelism:

We follow One who rules the nations, but He also rules over our own personal lives and over the events that take place from day to day. Even the hairs of our heads are numbered by Him; every detail, no matter how insignificant, is within His fatherly care. So we can ask that He will provide opportunities for us to share what we have come to believe. As He goes before us and prepares our way, He calls us to follow His lead and make the most of the opportunities and the open doors that He gives us.

Passages regarding evangelism:
Genesis 12:1-3
12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Mark 16:14-15
14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Luke 24:44-49
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Acts 1:6-8
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”


Warmly,

Jeff

2010 Reading Resolution

A couple of weeks ago I made a New Year’s resolution to do my book shopping in 2010 from my own library. I’m not saying that I won’t buy any books in 2010, for that would be unreasonable! However, my planned reading list are books already in my possession (or at least on order☺). So, here’s my list by category:

Biblical Theology: We Become What We Worship, by G. K. Beale

Systematic Theology: The Doctrine of the Christian Life, by John Frame

Bible: Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, by Richard Bauckham

Culture: Liberating Black Theology, by Anthony Bradley

Biography: W. E. B. DuBois, American Prophet, by Edward J. Blum

Leadership: Courageous Leadership, by Bill Hybels

Church: Simple Church, by Thom S. Rainer & Eric Geiger

History: ???

Fiction: ???

I should point out a few of things. First, my goal is not to read every page in all of these books. I like the way Marilyn Chandler McEntyre put it recently, “The goal of reading is not to get to the end.” My goal is to engage well and have good conversation as a read. Secondly, you’ll notice that my list is incomplete. That’s part of the reason for this post. I would appreciate some suggestions from you on books to fill the history and fiction categories. Of course, you don’t know what’s in my library, but that’s OK. Suggest something anyway (comments on the listed books are welcomed too). Lastly, the Bible is a given, so it’s not on the list.

Thanks for your help!

Pastor Irwyn

The Quest for Maturity?

On the recommendation of my friend Pastor Eric Redmond, I picked up the book 83 Things I Wish the Black Church Would Stop Doing, by Milan Ford. A lot of Ford’s ‘things’ make me laugh, some I don’t agree with, and most are worth blogging about. Here’s one for you (I think it’s number 50-something), The Quest for Maturity. Ford was having a conversation with a friend of his who serves as a worship leader. His friend was expressing his frustration and struggles over a group of people in the congregation who just “refuse to sing and participate along with him.” The friend expressed his frustration with these five words, “We must become more mature.”

I love Ford’s response (I’ve only included a portion of it),

“I realize that this may sound strange, but if everyone in your church is in the choir, on the usher board, a faithful tither, has never missed a service, and is just in love with the pastor...your church may just be on the brink of death...If everyone in the church GETS IT, then you might as well close the doors, because it is apparent that no one is now committed to going out and bringing in those who don’t.”

Ford has put his finger on the temptation to a spiritual pride and arrogance. In other words, acting like spiritual maturity is by works and not by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. One of the first practical lessons the Lord taught me in pastoral ministry is to assume that everyone in the church I serve (including myself) is wrestling with some issue that challenges their faith in the Lord. That’s because the church is full of real people living real lives. It should always be the case that we see the mix of new believer, mature believer, and, yes, unbeliever in the church. This will help us continue to see the outworking of the Gospel as good news for the lost, good news for the found, and good news for the community.

Pastor Irwyn

Dissatisfied: The Lures of Life

(Since my sermon was not fully recorded, here is a rough draft of it)

Most of us have experienced a major transition in life—where our life takes another direction (Middle school to High school, a career change, a move change, death, sickness, a divorce, kids leaving home and going to college, puberty etc.). These kinds of transitions are major turning points in our lives and at times affects how we live. This week’s passage will show us that there is a significant transition/turning point coming for God’s people. Last week, we saw an Extreme Makeover—God brought an idol worshiping people to desperation and as a result they cried out to God in genuine repentance, received His rich mercy, and remembered His continuous help. Now we come to this chapter seeing God’s people responding in a much different way. God’s people are dissatisfied and they want something else. Turn with me to 1 Samuel 8 and discover how this turning point in their history will change everything.

1 Samuel 8:1-22
"When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” 10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” 19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

The Religious Right and the Religious Left have it all wrong! All humanity has it wrong when we are looking for political or military powers to save or rescue us from our troubles. This past Presidential election as does many Presidential elections highlighted that for me. We, Christians, have an unhealthy allegiance to political parties or people to make us better. We often put our trust in political people and power to satisfy us. We put our trust in these things rather than the God who directs all history.

This unhealthy allegiance to political people and parties is a bigger picture of all our hearts struggle of looking to other things to rescue and satisfy us. God’s Word, the Bible, doesn’t hide God’s people struggle with idolatry or self-worship. Out of His love for us, God is committed to expose the seductive lures/enticements to other things. He does this in this chapter. God reveals to us how often we are dissatisfied in Him.

How does He do this in this chapter? He shows us that
• We have a dangerous passion for God substitutes.
• We have a fatal attraction to our current culture.
• We have a stubborn reaction to wise warnings.

We have a dangerous passion for God substitutes (vv. 1-8).
As I already said, last week we seen an extreme makeover of God’s people, and yet it doesn’t seem to last. They experienced forgiveness and restoration by God, they experienced a victory they would not have won apart from God’s thunderous work, and yet the elders request a king.

What is going on here? Why are they now dissatisfied with God? Or maybe you asking after hearing what is going in these verses, “Don’t they have good reasons to ask for a king?”

Good Reasons for King?
• Bad judges – Samuel’s sons were crooked, took bribes and perverted justice
• Old Leader – Samuel is very old, much longer will he act as judge especially when the other judges are corrupt.
• God allows it (Deut. 17:14-20) – The passage we read earlier seems to permit such a request for a king, to set up a new form of government, a monarchy. In this passage, Moses indicated that time might come when Israel would want a king and that it would be appropriate provided they obeyed certain parameters. In fact, it finds no fault in Israel’s desire for a king “like all the nations that are around me.”

The Problem: So what in their request shows they are dangerously passionate for a God substitute?
• Their Motive!
o To further understand Deut. 17, we see in the rest of the passage, though, how God’s word makes certain that Israel will not have a king “like all the nations, for the king must be a man of God’s own choosing (a brother Israelite, not a foreigner, without the customary royal perks-military power, many wives, and much wealth).
o So the elder’s request was tainted by something else. The reason they asked for a king was wrong for they were not satisfied in God—their request for a king was just another idolatrous obsession.
o Vv. 7-8 confirms this dissatisfaction/obsession. God says to Samuel, “for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.”
o The king is not merely a substitute for Samuel but for God. Davis, “What we have here is simply the old idolatry with a new twist.”
o Should we be surprise…for God’s people have consistently reverted to idolatry—replacing God with another substitute! God reminds Samuel of what happen after Israel’s rescue from slavery in Egypt…they committed idolatry…they became dissatisfied with God and began to take things in their old hands. (A Life Pattern, 1 Jn 5:21, “Dear Children, keep yourselves from idols.”)
o We have a hard time waiting on God and often our hearts show our dissatisfaction by asking for other things for the wrong reasons.
o They went from last week crying out to God in genuine repentance and restoration to this week demanding a king to satisfy their sinful desires.
o This request in light of God fighting their battles and giving them victory and freedom.
o They now want to trust a new form of government that will fail them instead of God who has, is and will continue to be faithful to them.
o It is not the monarchy that is the real issue; it is their dangerous passion for the monarch to satisfy them—for another to satisfy them.
o Where last week we saw that their only safe recourse and the only true thing that brought help was desperate prayer to their God; this week we see their dangerous passion for trusting some mechanical provision for their security.
o Bottom Line: They wanted a king because they imagined that the Lord their God-King was unable to secure their constant prosperity.

What do we take away from Israel’s dangerous passion for a substitute?
• We too struggle with God Substitutes (jobs, families, sports, education, material things, reputation, alcohol, drugs, sex, etc. are some areas where we go to find our satisfaction instead of God).
• What we believe about God will affect how then we live our life? Are we looking to God for help or are we more interested in prescribing what form of God’s help must take. Are we more concerned about what methods or ways we think God should deliver us from our troubles or are we finding God in the midst of our troubles? Are we satisfied with the God who saves or are we satisfied on how and when he will save or deliver us.
• Be careful for what you ask for! God may at times grant our requests but it may not be a sign of His agreement but of our wrong-headedness.
• Davis, “Because some of our idolatry (god substitutes) is so sophisticated and appears so reasonable, it can be extremely hard to detect. But Yahweh’s eye penetrates the fog (vv. 7-8). “Samuel experiences what Moses, the prophets, and even Jesus experience: ‘We do not want this man to reign over us’ (Luke 19:14).”
• “For the people of God, there is no other way because there is no other God. There is one God, there is no god but God, and there is no rest for any who rely on any god but God.” (p. 28, Os Guinness, John Seel, No God, But God)

Clothes has been a God substitute for me. When I am stressed out with life or things not going like I want, I have the tendency to run to the clothing store, Banana Republic, and get my clothes fix. Buying a piece of clothing satisfies me more than God when my life seems hard. How about you? What “king” do you want to satisfy you?

God shows us that we are dissatisfied in how we dangerously pursue god substitutes. He also shows us our dissatisfaction in our fatal attraction to the influences of present day culture.

We have a fatal attraction to our current culture (vv. 5, 19-20).
The elders and the people had an unhealthy and I say fatal attraction to the culture that surrounded them.

They looked around to all the other nations ruled by kings, they liked what they saw, and they wanted to be like them. They were tired of being different. They wanted to fit in and be like everybody else around them.

They concluded if they had a king: (1) they will belong; (2) they will have influence; (3) they will have all the military and political powers of other nations; and (4) they will be taken seriously by other nations.

The Problem: They were not called out as a people of God to be the same as other nations. They were set apart to be different, to be holy, and to make a righteous, just and compassionate difference in the world.
• Gen. 12, blessed to be a blessing. It’s covenantal status! Throughout the Bible, God pledges to be our God and we are His people.
• In Lev. 19:2, The Lord says because of this covenantal relationship, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”
• If we have put our trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ then we must ask God to help us apply this New Testament passage in 1 Peter 2: 1-12: “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

Bottom line: Because of the grace of God ultimately seen in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we belong to Him and we are called to be different than the culture around us. Even though we are called to be holy as God is holy, we struggle to be different, to be holy for God’s sake.

We must admit that at times we as a church and as individual Christians would rather just fit in/belong, to not stand out, to just be like everybody else, or to have the same kind of influence and power like our culture. So often in this struggle we are asking these questions:

• Why should we have a different definition of success?
• Why should I not cheat or lie to get ahead and get into the best schools or get the best grades?
• Why should I not do whatever it takes to get ahead in my corporate career? Or in my athletic pursuits?
• For the woman and girls, why should I not do all it takes to look like the glamour magazine covers?
• Why should we pursue faithfulness in marriage? Or stay married to death due us part?
• Or chastity before it?
• Why should I obey and respect my parents?
• Why should I as a father instruct my children in the ways of the Lord or to disciple them in love?
• Why should we boldly and confidently defend or share our faith in love?
• Why should we pursue justice and mercy for those who are poor, those who are widowed, for the defenseless?
• Why should we have a life attraction for worship over entertainment? Relationships over techniques and methods?
• Why should we prefer the enjoyment of God to self-fulfillment and gratification?
• Why should the will of God mean more to me than fulfilling my wish list?
• Why we should we stand up for truth?

Alexander MacLaren has put it well: “One of the first lessons we have to learn…is a wholesome disregard of other people’s ways.”

The story of Eric Little, a missionary and Olympic running champion in the 1920’s demonstrates a wholesome disregard of other’s people’s ways. In the Oscar Award winning movie, Chariots of Fire, the director shows the stark contrast of one man (Eric) who ran for the glory of God and one (Eric’s main competitor) who ran for his own self-gratification and fulfillment. When Eric’s race was scheduled for Sunday, he graciously refused to run that day because of his Christian belief of keeping the Sabbath holy. Most thought that he was crazy. But he was able to run in another race on another day and he won. God honored his desire to reflect the love for His Savior. Eric’s opponent was dogged the rest of his life that he never had a chance to beat Eric in a race. He was often stressed out because he couldn’t run the “perfect” race. When Eric ran he said that he felt the pleasure of God.


Because God’s people were dissatisfied with God, it led them to a dangerous passion for another king and fatal attraction to be like other nations. It also led them to something I am certain that deep down that they never wanted to experience again but will: slavery. We see this in our next section when God’s people stubbornly react to Samuel’s wise warnings.

We have a stubborn reaction to wise warnings (vv. 9-18, 21-22).
Samuel graphically describes what will happen if he grants their request. He gives them full knowledge of the wrong ways (mishpat: judgment of this new king). He issues a clear and dangerous warning!

What does Samuel wisely warn the Israelites?
• The way of the earthly king is very simple: “He will take, he will take, he will take, he will take, he will take and he will take.” (v. 11, 13, 14, 15 16, 17). He will be an oppressor!
• Listen to what he will take:
o He will take your sons (v. 11) – they will serve the military.
o He will take your daughters (v. 13) – they will be government workers.
o He will take your land (v. 14)- he give it to others he likes better.
o He will take your servants & property (v. 16)

Friends, he will take it all! Samuel wisely warns God’s people if they continue to go down this path of desiring a king to satisfy them, they will experience hardship. In fact, v. 17 is very clear, if you want this new king, then ultimately he will take from you this: your very freedom, “…you shall be his slaves.” High Cost to their Demand!

Samuel gives them a chance to reconsider. He offers them another way out. He pleads for their very souls before our Lord. Listen to what I have to say, don’t ignore it, don’t resist it…God is your true King.

They say a resounding NO! God’s people stubbornly refused Samuel’s last ditched effort to persuade them against their foolish request. They stubbornly refused God and now they stubbornly refuse His way. Samuel could not lure them away from the folly that they are about to commit.

What do we learn?
1. The High Cost of God Substitutes- they take by enslaving and controlling us, and impacting our relationship with God and others. You may think this “king” will protect you, keep you safe, provide relief but it will only lead you to major consequences.

2. Knowledge Can’t Save us

Truth, knowledge and information cannot transform us. It may clarify; it may provide instruction, insight, and warning but it cannot truly empower and change us. We need God to soften our hearts, to give us a teachable spirit and to lead us away from our stupidity so that we can follow Him and Him alone.

We may have the truth but do we love the truth! Do we see God’s Word as more than history, or mere facts about Jesus, or instructions to live as a moral person? Do you love God’s Word to the point where the Spirit of God is helping you to live it out no matter how exposing it is to your soul? No matter how painful it is to give up those god substitutes and fatal attractions?

God loves you enough in Jesus Christ to make this a reality and expose all the darkness of our soul so that we can make Him and Him alone our King. In Christ as we look to his life, his death on the cross for our sins, and his resurrection and ascension, he doesn’t take but He gives, and gives, and gives, and gives!

God loves as well in this story for God’s plan will not be thwarted. Though it was a sinful request, God will set up His plan for a monarchy. God is moving ahead even though His people will experience His judgment but it is an ultimately a redeeming judgment.

I conclude with these words: Because idolatry is the central problem of faith, it must be central concern of all lovers of God and disciples of Jesus. There can be no believing communities without an unswerving eye to the detection and destruction of idols…The challenge of our time is the recovery of the living reality of the gospel, including the all-sufficiency of the one, true God over against the self-sufficiency of our modern (or postmodern) age. Either we put our full trust in God, or we do not. If we do not, we are left to the folly of trusting in false gods and the grief of becoming what we worship. If we do, there is no room for any other god (p. 28, No God But God).

Each for the Other

Prompted by my mom to write out my Wedding message from my nephew’s ceremony, here are some thoughts that I shared with my nephew and his bride on their Wedding day. I read these Scripture passages, Philippians 2:1-13 and Ephesians 5:21-33, and they are the foundation of my thoughts.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:1-13)

21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Eph. 5:21-33)

Bryan Chapell, in his book Each for the Other, tells a story of a Christian couple that has tried to live out what the Bible says about marriage but have felt their love draining from their relationship. They were both raised in the church and went to a Christian college and yet their marriage was in trouble. Unfortunately, this story is not unusual. In the last year, I know of at least three young couples raised in the church and married for about one or two years who have divorced or seeking a divorce. Furthermore, those of us who are married must be honest and admit that at times we too have struggled to love our spouse well or are currently struggling in loving one another well in our marriages.

Is there any hope for us? What do these passages have to say to my nephew and new niece as they start their new life together? What do they say to us?

As I reflect on the passages, three foundational realities are important for us to remember in our married relationships. We have the same love, the same mind and the same Savior.

Same Love - Sacrifice
v. 2, “having the same love”; v. 4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

If our marriages are going to work, then sacrificial love must be evident in them. What do I mean? If you are a Christian, then you have the love of Jesus Christ dwelling within you. Now that is amazing reality for us to understand but also rest in. It is His love for us ultimately expressed in His sacrificial death on the cross for our sins that enables us to love sacrificially. It is His love that resides in us that enables us to put our spouse’s interest before ourselves. It is His love in us that will help the husband forsake a golf outing or Ravens/Redskins game with the boys so that he can spend some catch up quality time with his wife. It is His love in us that will empower the wife to let him enjoy those times with the men. It is His love in us that the husband can sacrifice his own TV personal time to share his day with his bride. It is His love in us that the wife can trust her husband to make a major decision for their family. I think you get my drift.

Not only do we have the same love that resides in us but also we have the same mind. If you are a follower of Jesus, then you have the mind of Christ. WOW!

Same Mind - Humility
v. 2 “being of the same mind”; v. 5, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”

The second foundational reality is that humility must be evident in our marriages. There is a story in the Gospel of Luke, chapter seven about a woman with a bad reputation that anoints Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume. What is so radical about this story is that she did this at a religious leader’s dinner party for Jesus. She was not invited but barged in to show her need for Jesus’ forgiveness. Simon the religious leader was very indignant and wrongly judged both Jesus and this woman for allowing this to happen. However, Jesus tells Simon a short story about forgiveness. He shows Simon that the one who understands their great need of forgiveness will show humility and thankfulness. You see the sinful woman was closer to Jesus than the “righteous” religious leader or should I say self-righteous religious leader. Why? Because she understood that she was a sinner who needed grace. She understood that she was a big sinner but Jesus was a bigger Savior.

As we approach our marriage, we too need to have the same mind of the woman in this passage. Jeff is the bigger sinner and because I am, I know that I need Jesus’ forgiveness and then I can show grace, humility and forgiveness to my wife. Jesus himself showed ultimate humility when he left his father’s perfect throne to live in a broken world so that he could die the death of a sinner even though he never sinned. He willingly and voluntarily died for us sinners so that we can be made right with God. But also because his humble mind resides in us that we might show this same kind of humility to others. So when your spouse offends you, you can forgive her/him because you are grasping the forgiveness God has given you in Jesus Christ.

We have the same love and we have the same mind in our marriage. More impressively, we have the same Savior.

Same Savior – Presence and Power!

The third foundational reality we see expressed in these two passages is that because Jesus has died on the cross for us and has forgiven our sins and has cleansed us by his blood, we have his presence and power. If you belong to Jesus by faith, then you have His very presence and power—the same power that raised Himself from the dead. Triple WOW!!

Every Christian couple has Jesus’ presence and power in order to love one another as God intended. We will fail but the reality for us is that He is more than able to provide all we need to grow in our relationship as husband and wife. God has given us the power to forgive; the power not to hold grudges and be resentful and bitter; the power to put her interest before yourself; the power to trust one another; the power to have hard and honest conversations with one another; to power to have God glorifying sex; the power to live at peace with one another; the power to serve others together; and the power to grow more deeply in love with one another. The list can go on, you fill in the other ways.

These are our foundational realities for every Christian couple. Because we belong to Jesus Christ, we share the same love, the same mind, and the same Savior.

I think of my parents who just this year celebrated 56 years of marriage. Man, this is an amazing accomplish for this world to take notice! They will confess though that it wasn’t always “bliss” and at times their relationship faced much difficulties, and at one point their marriage was on the brink of divorce. But God intervened and their Lord and Savior Jesus began to do a gracious work within them. Christ’s Spirit enabled them to grow in sacrifice and humility. He enabled them to value one another and appreciate their respective talents and personality. They are not perfect but they each depend upon their Savior to make their marriage work. They are growing in depending on the Jesus to express the three foundational realities in their lives.

May God give us the grace as well in our relationships! We need that grace!!

Warmly,

Pastor Jeff

Free For All

Tonight I was encouraged by the below gospel song. A faith relationship with Jesus does gives us true freedom to live as God intends for us to live. I needed this reminder!

Free for All
By Israel Houghton

Rivers rich in mercy beckon
Everyone who thirsts is welcome
All who hunger freely come
Bread of Life for everyone

It's free for all, free for all
Over every limitation, Free for all

Chorus:
Where the Spirit of the Lord is; There is freedom free for all
Where the Spirit of the Lord is; There is freedom free for all
Free for all

We're proclaiming freedom to the nations
Stand and see your full salvation
Rivers in the desert clouds are forming
Celebrate this free outpouring

Free for all free for all
Over every limitation

Holy Spirit rise within us
Bring Your freedom free for all
Holy Spirit rise within
Bring Your freedom free for all
Free for all

Whom the Son sets free is free indeed


I hope you are encouraged too!

Warmly,
Jeff
City of Hope Church

I Love Hip Hop

When did you fall in love with hip hop? That’s the sappy signature line from the movie Brown Sugar. Well, I not writing a love story, but I can say that I love hip hop. It’s been a part of my life since I was in middle school. I was in 6^th or 7^th grade at St. Angela Hall Academy in Brooklyn when one of my classmates stopped me in the stairwell on the way to our next class and said, “you gotta hear this.” Then he took out his tape recorder and played King Tim III. A few weeks later the Sugar Hill Gang came out with Rappers Delight. I was hooked. There was an explosion of this thing called hip hop, Run DMC, Kool Moe Dee, KRS-One, PE, LL, and on and on.

By the time I became a Christian, the lyrics in most popular hip hop music had degenerated from what I would call “chest-beating” and dissing (disrespecting other rappers), to denigrating women, exalting sexual exploits, and what my friend Carl Ellis calls “Ghetto Nihilism.” What do you do when you love hip hop, but not what it’s become? I don’t think that the answer is to discard the genre. It is now no longer simply a part of urban youth culture, it is a part of American culture. There are still some good songs out there among contemporary rap artists.

One thing that has become a major blessing and encouragement to me is the emergence and development of Christian hip-hop. A few years ago I was exposed to the music of Christcentric (www.christcentric.net). Their combination of gospel proclamation through the medium of hip-hop astounded me. Not watered down hip-hop, but Christ exaltation over strong beats and smooth lyrics. Last Friday (August 7, 2009), I went to a concert at Shady Grove Presbyterian Church featuring Christcentric, B. Morr (www.bmorr.com), and Curtis (Voice) Allen. Wow!! Listen. If you love hip-hop, and you love Jesus Christ, check these brothers out. If you love hip-hop, but you don’t love Jesus Christ, check these brothers out. If you don’t love hip-hop, but you love Jesus Christ, check these brothers out. If you don’t love hip-hop, and you don’t love Jesus Christ, check these brothers out. I think that just about covers everybody. Check these brothers out!

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Irwyn