“Christian Love” (Romans 13:8-10) - Romans for Everyone XXIII -

Only Love 

Karl Barth is considered as one of the top 5 Christian theologians in our church history. Once a young student asked Barth if he could sum up what was most important about his life’s work and theology in just a few words. All the seminary students were sitting on the edge their seats to hear some great, profound, deep, complicated answer. Barth just thought for a moment and then smiled, “Yes, in the words of a song my mother used to sing me, ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'”

If we have to define Christianity in one word, it would be “love.” Christianity is love, for God is love. Christianity is not a set of do’s and don’ts, but it is to know Christ and be more like him. It is to love God and love others. When Jesus was asked which commandment is the most important of all, he said, “The first is… ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mk 12:29-31) “Love God, Love others.”

In verse 9 of today’s passage Paul says, “For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”” Some of you may wonder why they are just summed up in the second commandment. Why not the first commandment, or both of them? It is because loving others is our fruit, the surest sign, the natural outcome of our authentic relationship with Christ. I like the way the Apostle John puts it: “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16 NLT). And he also says, in 1 John 4:11, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” In other words, our love to others is flowing out from what Christ gave us, not something from our own. The love of God for us is a foundation of our love to others.

Love of God 

I don’t know about you, but for me personally, I had struggled a long time with a sense of not loving people enough. When I was a youth group teacher, I didn’t feel that I had enough love for my students. When I was a student pastor, most of the time I felt that I didn’t love my young adult group enough. As a result, I thought perhaps I was not a right person to do that ministry. I struggled with a sense of failure. But then, one day I was listening to the sermon on the Book of Romans on internet. The word of God, particularly Romans 5:5, did penetrate. It says, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Here Bible doesn’t say, “Sometime in the future, God’s love will be poured into our hearts.” But it does say, “When we did receive Jesus and believe in his name, God’s love has been poured into our hearts regardless our feeling!” That is the truth. I said, “Amen” by faith. I did take God at his word. Since then, the sense of failure has gone. Since then, I have focused on Jesus. I asked more of Christ. I asked more of the Holy Spirit, instead of asking to have the feeling. Are any of you in this room struggling with loving others? Focus on Jesus. Ask more of Christ. Ask more of the Holy Spirit, and you will be able to love them by the power of the Holy Spirit.

If we are truly honest about ourselves, we know we are incapable of loving God with all our hearts and loving others as ourselves, because of our fallen, self-centered nature. We have desire, but we don’t have power to do it (cf. Romans 7). That is why we need Jesus. And that is what he came to do. Romans 8:3 says, “God has done for us what the law, weakened by our sinful nature, could not do. God did by sending his own Son and gave him as a sacrifice for our sins, so that we might no longer follow our sinful nature, but instead of follow the Spirit.” God did it for us. This is the gospel. When we humbly believe this good news, God gives us a new life, a new spirit, a new nature in Christ. The Apostle Paul said, “I am a debtor. I owe the debt of love to all people” (Rom 1:14). Paul said this, because God’s love for him was too good, too lavish, too compelling to have it just inside of him. He had to pass it on. He had to share it with others. So in 2 2 Corinthians 5:14 he said, “Christ’s love compels us!” My prayer is that all of us in this room may experience this lavish, compelling love of Christ, so that we will love others as Jesus has loved us.

Love to Others 

Love is much more than just an outward action. Love is a mindset, an attitude, an inner disposition that produces behaviors that do no harm and do good for people. In fact, love is the mindset of Christ Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul describes love in this way:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (ESV)

Love is the mindset of Christ Jesus. The more Christ is our focus, the more we love others as described in 1 Cor 13. The more we have Christ, the more we do everything with love. In Corinthians 16:14, as he closes, Paul sums up his letter in this word: “Let all that you do be done with love!” (NKJV) When we keep the law, love should be our mindset. When we pay taxes, love should be our mindset. When we keep the speed limit, love should be our mindset. When we vote, love should be our mindset.[1]

Invitation to the Life of Love 

God sent His Son, not just to forgive our sins, but also for us to live an abundant life – the life of love. We have been invited to live a life of love just as Christ loved us (Eph 5:2 NCV). Bob Goff, Christian author and lawyer, rightly said, “There is only one invitation it would kill me to refuse, yet I'm tempted to turn it down all the time. I get the invitation every morning when I wake up to actually live a life of complete engagement, a life of whimsy, a life where love does. It doesn't come in an envelope. It's ushered in by a sunrise, the sound of a bird, or the smell of coffee drifting lazily from the kitchen. It's the invitation to actually live, to fully participate in this amazing life for one more day.”[2]

Everyday God sends us an invitation to live a life of love. But as Bob Goff said, plenty of people turn down this wonderful, life-changing invitation. They turn it down by refusing to forgive or not being grateful. They turn it down by believing they haven’t really been invited, or asking some kind of audible voice or miraculous signs. But the truth is that all of us have been invited – every day, all over again! We have been invited to live a life of love as Christ loved us.

Then, what does it look like to live a life of love? It can be picking up the phone, sending an e-mail, writing a letter, or just showing up. Begin with one person around you. Pick up that person. It may be your spouse. It may be your children. It may be someone at the church or at work or in your neighborhood. Practice on them, and you will see things start happening. Let us say “yes” to God’s invitation every morning. Let our heart and mind overflow with the love of Christ. And let all that we do be done with love. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another! Amen.

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[1] John Piper, “Love is a Fulfilling of the Law, Part 1” https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/love-is-a-fulfilling-of-the-law-part-1
[2] Bob Goff, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World (Thomas Nelson, 2012), 80.

“The Lord Is My Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1-6)

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” 

Probably the 23rd psalm is the most-beloved, most-sung, most-prayed, and most-studied poem in the Book of Psalms. And the image of this psalm is very personal: The Lord is my shepherd. Recently, this psalm of David personally did speak to me. Last two weeks were a dream for my family and me. It was a time of family reunion in 10 years. After Joyce and I had sent them off, we felt left behind. We felt so empty. It was so hard to even get back to normal life. But it was God’s word that sustained us. In particular, this psalm preserved our lives. It gave us strength, comfort, and even joy. So this morning I wanted to share that message with you.

“The Lord” 

The psalm begins with the word: “The Lord.” Who is the Lord? Here David is not talking about an abstract God who is distant. But he is talking about the personal God who sees us, hears us, and cares for us (cf. Ex 3:7-8). He is talking about the God we can know, we can talk to, we can feel, we can touch. Ultimately, the Lord refers to Jesus Christ. The Lord God is fully revealed in Jesus. Hebrews 1:1-3 says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son… He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (ESV). Jesus Christ is the Lord!

“My Shepherd” 

David says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” In John 10 Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” Unlike a hired hand, the good shepherd protects, guides, cares for, and even lays down his life for the sheep. In fact, Christ the good shepherd became a lamb, a sheep just like us. He didn’t have to, but he chose to be that way. He entered into our experience of life – suffering, loss, sorrow, temptation, and brokenness – and has seen life from the perspective of a sheep. He was vulnerable just like us. He was hungry and weary just like us. He was tempted in every respect just like us. Why did he do that? He did this, so that we may become his sheep. We all like sheep have gone astray and were headed for the slaughter house and we didn’t know it. But, Jesus Christ, the Shepherd and the Lamb, saved us. He saved us from the slaughter house. He stepped into the line we were in, threw His body in front of ours, and he was slaughtered instead of us. He loves us this much.[1] John the Baptist declared, “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) As a sacrificial lamb, he took up our weaknesses and pains. He carried our griefs and sorrows. He died in our place. But not only that, he also was raised from the dead and sat at the right hand of God. The Lamb slain is now in the center of the throne. And people from all nations praise, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:13) This Lamb of God in power, Jesus Christ, is now our shepherd. The Lord Jesus is my shepherd! 

I Will Follow (2-3) 
When Jesus is our shepherd, we would then naturally say this: I shall not want. Here we find the life of trust, the life of contentment no matter what. But what does it look like to live such a life exactly? The author David unpacks this in the following verses in three ways. First of all, he says, “Because the Lord is my shepherd, I will follow him.” 

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. 
he leadeth me beside the still waters. 
He restoreth my soul
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” 

Wherever he leads me, I will follow him. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). In Palestine today, we see that Bedouin shepherds bring their flocks home from the various pastures they have grazed during the day. Often those flocks will end up at the same watering hole around dusk, so that they get all mixed up together—eight or nine small flocks turning into a convention of thirsty sheep. Their shepherds do not worry about the mix-up, however. When it is time to go home, each one issues his or her own distinctive call—a special trill or whistle, or a particular tune on a particular reed pipe, and that shepherd's sheep withdraw from the crowd to follow their shepherd home. They know their shepherd's voice, and it is the only one they will follow.[2]

When we follow our shepherd, we find a life of contentment, peace, and rest. How can a husband and a wife become one? It’s impossible. How can parents and children become one? It’s impossible. But there is a way! When each of us hears the shepherd’s voice and follows him, we become one. Recently, I had that amazing experience. To be honest, before Joyce’s

family came, I was concerned. I didn’t feel comfortable to live with them for two weeks because I didn’t know them. I was concerned about what to eat, where to take them, how to plan a budget. At first it was not easy. To please each other didn’t work. But then, we all resolved to just hear the shepherd’s voice and follow him. And we experienced the miracle of unity. We became one family at the end. As we departed from each other, we all felt a great sense of loss. But our Great Shepherd said that even though we were physically going to different directions (USA and Korea), we were actually heading to the same direction as long as we follow him. Because Jesus is my shepherd, I will follow him.

I Will Not Fear (4-5) 

Secondly, David says, “Because the Lord is my shepherd, I will not fear.”

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” 

The Lord is present in the green pastures. But the Lord is also present in the darkest valley. It is suggested that David wrote Psalm 3 and 4 when he fled from Absalom his own son. What a heartbreaking tragedy! But David says, “I will not afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around” (3:6). And he continues, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in

safety” (4:8). As we go through the darkest valley, all kinds of dark bitter experiences in life, our shepherd Jesus is with us. He abides with us to comfort us, sustain us, encourage us in the valley of depression, serious illness, rejection, separation, death of loved one, even the experience of death itself. One pastor lost his oldest daughter to a sudden death when she was 34. He said, “You never get over it. And you don’t want to. And through it all, one promise was most important: God is with us.” I will not fear, I will not worry, I will not be anxious, for you are with me. 

I Will Abide (6)
Thirdly, David says, “Because the Lord is my shepherd, I will abide in him.”

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” 

The point of the 23rd psalm is that the destination of the paths of righteousness, the destination of the valley of the shadow of death, the destination of the end of the days of my life is none other than God’s very self. God is the psalmist’s destination.[3] David did abide in the Lord, wherever he was. Whether he was a shepherd boy, whether he was standing before Goliath, whether he was hiding in the wildness from Saul and Absalom, whether he was a king, he always did abide in the Lord.

Jesus said, “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4, NRSV) Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches. Abiding means believing,

trusting, resting, receiving, connecting to Jesus. Wherever we are, we are never lost, when we abide in Jesus, for his pursuing goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives and we will make it home safely. We only need to remember these words and hold fast them: The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.

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[1] Wanye Monbleau, “Our Shepherd Became A Lamb for Us,” https://www.lovinggrace.org/single-post/2015/07/23/Our-Shepherd-Became-A-Lamb-For-Us
[2] Barbara Brown Taylor in The Preaching Life (Cowley, 1993), p. 147; https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2013/june/5061713.html
[3] deClaisse-Walford, The Book of Psalms (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 2014), Kindle Edition 5368 of 32717.

“Meeting the Risen Christ in Unexpected Places” (Gen 28:10-22)

GODISNOWHERE

An atheist and a Christian were engaged in an intense public debate. The atheist did his presentation first. On the blackboard behind the podium he printed in large capital letters, “GOD IS NOWHERE.” Then, the Christian rose to offer his rebuttal. He quietly went up to the podium, and he rubbed out the W at the beginning of where and added that letter to the preceding word no. Then the statement read, “GOD IS NOW HERE.”[1]

Last Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And this morning we sang “He Lives.” We sang, “He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.” Do you experience that? How do you meet the risen Christ in everyday life? How do you experience the resurrection life today? In order to answer this question, we should first define “the resurrection.” Here we're not talking about Jesus' survival in our minds, as a result of which we can say, “Well, he's alive," or, "He is living in me." We can say that about anybody who has died. For instance, in Latin America, there are many students who have such confidence in Che Guevara as one of their leaders that they often sing and chant, "Che lives." He hadn't risen from the dead, but his influence was still living.[2] I still remember one of my colleagues said, “It doesn’t matter whether Christ has been raised from the dead or not. What matters most is to learn his teaching, his life, and his mind.” But the Bible does not say that. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” We are talking not about his survival, but about his resurrection. God did conquer the death and rescue Jesus out of the realm of death; and transformed his body into a new resurrection body, so that he had a new power and was now immortal, never to die again. Jesus himself said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26) We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven in order to experience this resurrection power and life. This promise is available to us today. That’s why Paul said, in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.”

God Is Now Here!

The resurrection power and life are available to us today. The question is how. How do you meet the risen Christ in everyday life? How do you experience the resurrection life and power today? We can find the answer from the story of one man just like us – the story of “runaway Jacob.” In today’s passage we find a fascinating story how Jacob meets the living God in the most unexpected place – somewhere in the middle of nowhere! Think about what Jacob is going through. He has lied to his blind, old father. He cheated his brother. So the brother was so mad that he’s threatening to kill him. And now he has to run away in order to save his life. Socially, he is separated from his family and fleeing for his life. Materially, he has nothing but the shirt on his back. Spiritually, he is distant from God and alone and without hope.[3] In a word, Jacob is pressed on every side by troubles. He is wrestling with the past, facing an anxious present, and a very uncertain future.

It’s the very moment when Jacob is the most in need of God. It’s the very place where God breaks through into Jacob’s life. And he begins to experience God’s resurrection power and life. On the way to Haran, in the wilderness he dreams; he sees a stairway and God’s angels are ascending and descending on it. And he hears God say, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you!” Then Jacob confesses, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I wasn’t even aware of it!” Before, Jacob worked hard to take God’s blessings, but he felt like “God is nowhere.” But now, in the middle of nowhere he is empty, hungry, lonely, and he sees his great need. And he meets the living God who begins working with him and opens his eyes to see, “God is now here.” How about you? Are you somewhere in the middle of nowhere? It’s a good place to meet the living God, the risen Christ. Talk to him and admit, “Lord, I have a need I can’t handle by myself. I need you!” And he will begin to work with you.

Meeting the Risen Christ

Recently, I met the risen Christ in an unexpected place, in the middle of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where I was attending the conference. The conference theme was “evangelism” mostly in an urban context. All of the sessions were excellent, but there was a question in my mind: “How about the rural church?” Around that time, I felt “stuck” and didn’t know exactly why and where to turn. I was empty, hungry, desperate. And I waited, waited, waited on God. And God revealed to me the root cause of the problems. That had to do with my “effectiveness-driven” mentality – “Make an impact on many and change the world” mentality. When I was appointed to our church in 2014, my initial goal was to shake things up and change the church, the culture, the community for Jesus’ sake. But apparently, it didn’t work. As a result, after three years, I felt “stuck,” and my sense of significance and self-worth diminished. And I asked myself: “Am I effective? Is my ministry here effective? Am I a right person here? When am I going to make an impact on more people in a larger ministry setting?

While I was in St. Simons Island, God did speak to me through worship, fellowship, prayer and devotional times. The word given to me was “abide.” I thought I did abide, but in fact, it was revealed that what I did was tolerating and enduring, but not abiding. I did not make my home among the people and the community. Then, God showed me what Jesus did: He made his home among us (cf. John 1:14). He chose to abide with us. He brought God’s kingdom to earth. Then, God gave me assurance that I am called to abide, not to change and that my first commitment should be present to people where they are and love them as they are. That revelation changed everything. That changed me. With tears of joy, I shouted, “Surely the Lord is here in this place and I didn’t know it!” Now my pastoral vision is to “abide” where I am planted. The direction of my ministry goal has changed from the ministry of transformation to the ministry of presence. It is to stay put, to be present, and to love people and the community with all my heart. (So now you are stuck with me!) And now I see my Bethel is Houlton and Hodgdon, and I begin to see God’s kingdom here and now. Praise God!

Where Is Your Bethel? 

The area where Jesus was born, lived, did his ministry is called the Holy Land. A pilgrimage to the Holy Land would be a meaningful journey. I would like to go someday. It’s one of my bucket list. But in some sense, today we are traveling and standing on the holy land. The risen Christ is here with us. And if we walk with him and talk with him, our home is the Holy Land; our church is the Holy Land; Houlton and Hodgdon is the Holy Land!

Jesus was born at a particular time. He ministered to particular people in a particular place. But it does affect the entire world. He walked three miles in an hour. He met one person at a time, touched one person at a time. He didn’t heal all the sick. He didn’t solve all the problems. That was not his ultimate calling. But as he did teach, preach, and heal some of them, he always did reveal God’s kingdom and bring the kingdom to earth. That was his calling. So on the cross, he was able to say, “It is finished!”

In the same way, we live in a particular place and time. It’s April 8, 2018, we live in Houlton/ Hodgdon, ME. We don’t have to wait, or we don’t have to go somewhere to meet the risen Christ. He is now here! And this is our Bethel, the house of God. This is our mission field. On one occasion a woman wanted to join Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India. But Mother Teresa said, “Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely right there where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society — completely forgotten, completely left alone.”

Where is your Calcutta? Where is your Bethel? As Mother Teresa said, let us start with the person nearest us. Let us pick up one person. Let us love one person at a time in our family, in our church, in our community. And we will see the risen Christ in them and say, “Surely the Lord is here and I didn’t know it!”

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[1] Keith Krell, “Runaway Bride” (Gen 28:10-22), https://bible.org/seriespage/35-runaway-bribe-genesis-2810-22
[2] John Stott, “The Up-to-the-Minute Relevance of the Resurrection” (John 20:24-29), http://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2010/july/theuptotheminuterelevanceoftheresurrection.html
[3] Bob Hallman, “Nowhere To Look But Up” (Genesis 28:1-22) http://calvarychapel.com/kauai/teachings/genesis_pdf/gen_28_notes.pdf, 9.

“Still the Best News Ever” (Luke 24:13-35) - Easter Sunday 2018 -

The Best News 

What is the best news you have ever heard? For me personally, it was when Joyce said “Yes!” And she married me about 10 years ago this May. For Jewish people, the following news might be the best news they had received. During World War II, Gen. George Patton’s army had just liberated Buchenwald, Germany, and they entered the concentration camp to set people there free. There they found hundreds of starving men piled in bunks from floor to ceiling. Even though they had been freed, they remained in the barracks. They suspected that new uniforms just meant new oppression and new abuse, and they would not leave the barracks. But then, Rabbi Herschel Shacter came in with the troops and spoke to them in their own language: "Shalom Aleichem, Yidden, Ihr zint frei!"—"Peace be upon you, Jews, you are free!" Hearing the news, one man got up, then a stream of men out of that one barracks, then the stream became a flood as they went from barrack to barrack, to barrack with this news: “You are free, you are free, you are free!” What is then the best news in human history? Without slightest hesitation I would say the world’s best news is this: “Christ is risen!”

George Gallop did a poll that said 84% of people who never go to church believe Jesus rose from the dead. But many people, and perhaps some of you in this room, may wonder, “It happened 2,000 years ago. Does it really matter? Is it relevant to my life?” The answer is “YES.” Let me suggest to you at least three reasons why it is so important and relevant to your lives.

Freedom from the Past 

First, the resurrection gives us freedom from the past. One pastor received this letter: "I'm 31 years old and divorced, though I fought the divorce bitterly. I feel bad. I have no hope for my future. Often I go home and cry, but there's no one holding me when I cry. Nobody cares. Nothing changes, and I continue to fail. I'm stressed out emotionally, and I feel I'm on the verge of a collapse. Something is very wrong. But I feel so hurt and embittered that I can scarcely react or relate to others anymore. I feel as if I'm going to have to sit out the rest of my life in the penalty box."[1] 

In today’s passage we meet two disciples of Jesus who are heading home after a traumatic weekend. Verse 17 says, “And they stood still, looking sad.” Why were they sad? Part of the reason might be because of the loss of their loved one. But there was another more fundamental reason under the surface, that was guilt. Peter disowned Jesus three times; Mark fled naked, when the mob tried to grab him; none of the disciples were able to follow Jesus. And these two disciples were also suffering from guilt and shame. And now Jesus died. Everything seemed over. And they are deeply and sadly ashamed, saying, “I guess I’ll just have to live with this the rest of my life.” The thing is, many people live like that. I don’t know about you, but for me, I have been there. I have guilt. I have the past. If my past is shown like panorama on the screen, I’m sure that no one in this room will want me to be your pastor. I doubt my children would still call me “dad.” But the resurrection brings the good news that there is forgiveness with God. The risen Christ proclaims to us, “You are free! You are free from your guilt! You are free from your past!” The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation! The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!” (2Co 5:17). That is what happens in baptism. When we go under the water, we (old self) die with the crucified Christ. When we come up out of the water, we (new self) enter into a new life with the risen Christ. That’s the first message of the resurrection of Jesus: our past can be forgiven today.

Power in the Present 

That’s good news. We can make a fresh start. I don’t know about you, but for me I need more than just forgiveness for the past. I need power in the present. We often hear people say, “My life is out of control… I feel powerless to break a bad habit. I feel powerless to get out of debt. I feel powerless to save a relationship, and so on.” What we need is a power greater than ourselves. So our question is, “Is God really able to change human nature?” “Is it possible for the addict to break the vicious cycle?” “Is it possible for cruel people to be made kind, and sour people to be sweetened?” The answer is, “YES, it is possible!” We see numerous evidence in the Bible. Jesus’ disciples were all timid cowards when Jesus died, but after they met the risen Christ, they became fearless martyrs. 

Paul is another good example. At first, Paul hated Christians, because in his eyes what they believed, the Messiah, was nonsense. The Messiah by definition is anointed one, which means, "the chosen one, beloved one." But here is this Jesus Christ, supposed to be the Messiah, and he is dying on a cross. Deuteronomy 21:23 says, “Cursed is he who is hung on a tree.” This guy Jesus is cursed by God, abandoned by God. No wonder Paul didn’t believe this Jesus. But then, he saw Jesus raised from the dead. He says, “Wait a minute! If God did raise him from the dead and vindicate him, then when he was cursed, he must have been cursed for someone else’s sins, not his own.” God opens the eyes of his heart, and all of sudden it’s all beginning to make sense. In the same way, the two disciples in today’s scripture heard the news that Jesus had been raised from the dead. But for them these words seemed an idle tale (11). They didn’t believe, but when the risen Christ interpreted the scriptures, their hearts began to burn within them. The Scriptures became from “idle tale” to “living word of God.” And after that, they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem (33). In Ephesians 1:19-20 Paul says, “How incredibly great is his power to help those who believe him, the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead (TLB).” The same resurrection power is available to us today. And the same God of supernatural power, who raised Jesus from the dead, can raise us from spiritual death and make us alive. He can change us, because he changed Christ.

Hope for the Future

The resurrection gives us freedom from our past; the resurrection gives us power in the present. The third message is, the resurrection gives us true hope for the future. Bertland Russell said, “When I die, I believe that I shall rot, and that that is the end.” But the resurrection of Jesus tells us that there is life after death. Billy Graham once said, “Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.” 

What is your source of hope? In Hebrews 11 we meet heroes of faith. They are all from different times, but all of them have one thing in common. They have the hope of resurrection. For instance, when Abraham offered Isaac, “he considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead!” (19) How about Joseph? Before he died, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left (22). Some were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection (35). That’s the resurrection hope! The Bible says, “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him… the Lord himself will come down from heaven… and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we… will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1Th 4:14-17). That’s the resurrection hope: God will raise the dead, and he will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and he will make everything new.

Still the Best New Ever 

So why does the resurrection matter to you? It matters because your sin can be forgiven. It matters because your present can be transformed. It matters because your future can be secure.

On the day of Pentecost Peter preached his first sermon. Basically, he preached Jesus and the resurrection. It was the first Easter message. People responded with this question: “Brothers, what should we do?” And Peter answered, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 2:38a MSG). That day about three thousand received his word and were baptized. After 2,000 years later today, the Easter message is still the same. “Jesus Christ is risen today.” And it’s still the best news ever. How would you respond to this good news?

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[1] Rick Warren, “What Difference Does Easter make?” (Colossians 2:13-14) http://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2005/august/223.html

“I Will Treasure Church Membership as a Gift” (Luke 19:1-10) - I AM A CHURCH MEMBER VI –

Palm Sunday and Zacchaeus? 
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday. It is the day that we remember and commemorate the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem as Savior and King. So typically, on this day we read the Bible verses about Jesus’ triumphal entry, wave palm branches, and shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” But today for a reason I chose a little bit different scripture passage, that is, a story of Zacchaeus. If we read the passage of the triumphal entry of Jesus, right after that passage we find that Jesus is weeping over Jerusalem (19:41-44). It’s a little bit weird, isn’t it? All the people in Jerusalem – men and women, young and old – came out, greeted him with palm branches and welcomed him with enthusiasm. But for some reason, Jesus is weeping as he watches the crowd. Why? Because they honor Jesus with their lips, but their hearts are far from him. They honor him with their lip service, “Jesus, you are our King!” But deep in their hearts they say, “Jesus, I don’t want you. I don’t need your help. I think I am ok. I am not lost.” Knowing their hearts, Jesus says, “The day will come… Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize the time when God came to help you.” (v. 44, NLT) But there were few who did recognize Jesus, receive him joyfully, and honor him with their life. Zacchaeus was one of them. So this old conversion story of Zacchaeus teaches us the true meaning of what it means to receive Jesus Christ as King and Savior as we celebrate Palm Sunday.

Who Is Zacchaeus? 
So then, who is Zacchaeus? The Bible says, “He was a chief tax collector and was rich” (2). In Jesus’ time tax collectors were considered as the scum of the earth. For personal gain they served Rome, taking unfair advantage of their own countrymen. They were despised among the Jews. Zacchaeus was not only a tax collector, but a chief tax collector, which made people despise him all the more. And as a result of an unrighteous gain he got rich. The Bible says, “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (18:24). So in many ways Zacchaeus was a most unlikely candidate for salvation. But today’s story proves that there is no one is beyond the power of God’s grace to reach. God is able to save. If Zacchaeus was saved, there is hope to everyone, even to the worst of sinners. Let us be encouraged and comforted. Let us never give up praying for our souls and for our beloved ones who need salvation. Our God is able.

God Seeking Us 
Our God is not only able to save, but also he is passionately seeking us, before we seek him. On the surface, it seems that Zacchaeus sought Jesus and found him. He was curious about Jesus. He climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him. And he invited Jesus to his house. But the truth is the opposite. It was Jesus who was passionately seeking Zacchaeus before Zacchaeus even heard about the name of Jesus. Jesus always seeks the lost by taking the initiative. Verse 1 says, “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.” Why? Jesus was coming to seek the lost, particularly a man named Zacchaeus. He was directly walking toward the tree to see Zacchaeus. And he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” Here we find at least two reasons why we can say it was Jesus who took the initiative. First, Jesus called Zacchaeus by name. Zacchaeus must have been surprised, “How should he know my name? I never saw him before.” But Jesus already knew not only his name but also his heart. Just as Jesus said to Nathanael, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you (John 1:48),” now Jesus is saying, “Zacchaeus, I have heard your cry. I know all about your pain. And now I have come to help you.” Second, Jesus used the verb “must” – I must stay at your house today. In the same way, John 4:4 says, “Now it was necessary for him [Jesus] to go through Samaria (ISV). Why? Because he had to meet a Samaritan woman who was lost. And now it is necessary for him to go through Jericho. Why? Because he has to meet Zacchaeus and to abide at his house. That is why he came. In verse 10 Jesus says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

I love a story of D. L. Moody because it tells us how passionately Jesus is seeking us. On one occasion Moody saw a little girl standing on the street with a pail in her hand and invited her to his Sunday School. She promised to go the following Sunday, but she didn’t do so. Moody watched for her for weeks, and then one day he saw her on the street again from a distance. But when she saw him and started to run away. Moody followed her. Down she went one street, Moody after her; up she went another street, Moody after her; out on another street, Moody still following; then she dashed into a saloon and Moody dashed after her. She ran out the back door and up a flight of stairs, Moody still following; she dashed into a room, Moody following; she threw herself under the bed and Moody reached under the bed and pulled her out by the foot, and led her to Christ. That day Moody also led the widow mother and all the family to Christ.[1] 

The Bible says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" The answer is, no one and nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord! (cf. Rom 8:35-39) We may have withdrawn from God, but God never withdraws from us. God never gives up on us. Instead, he gently, graciously, passionately seeks us and calls us by name. Have you had that experience? Have you heard Jesus call your name? Even now Jesus is seeking you, calling you personally and individually by name.

Seeking the God Who Is Seeking Us 
Zacchaeus heard Jesus call his name. And he came down quickly and received Jesus joyfully. God’s grace is so amazing, so powerful! God’s grace prepared Zacchaeus’ heart, made him thirsty and curious about who Jesus was (v. 3; “prevenient grace”). God’s grace empowered him to say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation and to receive him joyfully (v. 6; “justifying grace”). Furthermore, God’s grace transformed his heart, changed his worldview, gave him a new desire to love God and to love his neighbor (v. 8; “sanctifying grace”). By God’s grace, Zacchaeus is now seeking the God who is seeking him. He does not avoid people anymore; instead, he does stand right beside Jesus and say, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!" Zacchaeus is saved not because he gives away his possessions to the poor. He is not saved by his works. But his good works prove his changed heart and the love for God expressed in love for others. He is saved by grace through faith. Here Zacchaeus is saying, "Come in, come in, Lord Jesus! From now on I own nothing. You own everything. Jesus, you are my Master and King!" That is Zacchaeus’ confession of faith. And Jesus says to him, “Today salvation has come to his house!”

Zacchaeus was an “outsider,” but now he has become an “insider” by God’s grace. Jesus says to the people grumbling, “He also is a son of Abraham!” Zacchaeus is now a true son of Abraham, son of Noah, son of Adam, and son of God. In Ephesians 2:19 Paul proclaims this truth as follows: "So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family" (NLT), that is, the church. In other words, the moment when we become a Christian, follower of Christ, we naturally also become a church member. So church membership is a gift, honor, and privilege.

The church consists of people – “lost and found” people. We have all different versions of the story. But they are all the same story: “I once was lost, but now I am found.”

Invite Others In 
God’s house is big enough to adopt all the lost. God’s table is large enough for all of us. Perhaps you know some of “Zacchaeuses” who are still seeking truth, seeking an answer, seeking to see who Jesus is. Let us remember: Jesus is passionately seeking them, before they seek him. Let us invite at least one of these individuals to church this Easter. Perhaps they have some hindrances, and you may wonder, “What if?” But, was not Zacchaeus a chief tax collector? Was not Zacchaeus rich? Was not Zacchaeus small in stature? But God’s grace made him more than conqueror over all these hindrances. All things are possible to Jesus Christ. Nothing is too hard for him. He is the Lord almighty!

Perhaps today you yourself are seeking to see who Jesus is. Now Jesus is calling you personally and individually by name, saying, “My son, my daughter, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today!” So like Zacchaeus, let us come down quickly and receive him joyfully, saying:

Into my heart, into my heart 
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus 

Come in today, come in to stay
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus! 

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[1] R. A. Torrey, Why God Used D.L. Moody (Moody Press, 1973) 42-43.

“I Will Pray for My Church Leaders” (Eph 6:10-20) - I AM A CHURCH MEMBER IV -

Spurgeon and Intercessory Prayer 

Charles Spurgeon was an English preacher in the 19th century. He is still influential among many Christians and known as the “Prince of Preachers.” For me personally, I still remember when I was a freshman in college, I had a chance to read Spurgeon’s book, Lectures to My Students, written for seminarians at his school. It had a profound impact on me. I still have that book and read it. During his life time, many people visited Spurgeon’s church and asked him the secret of his fruitful ministry. Then, he would take them to the basement prayer-room where people were always on their knees interceding. And Spurgeon would declare, “Here is the powerhouse of this church.” He always acknowledged his success as the direct result of his congregation's faithful prayers. There were even prayer team members who were interceding while he preached. Spurgeon wrote, "When I have preached my very heart out. I could not say any more than I have said. … your prayers will accomplish that which my preaching fails to do? Oh dear friends! Let us agonize in prayer."[1]

Real Enemy, Real Battleground 

In today’s passage Paul says, “Our struggle is not with human beings (“flesh and blood”), but with evil spiritual forces.” Paul describes evil as “real beings” – personal spiritual beings seeking to disrupt life as God intends it. We read and hear terrible news every day. We hear people say, “I was not myself when I did that.” The evil one (16) approaches personally, attacks powerfully, seeks to control persistently. But through the Bible we know the evil one may be real and powerful, but he does not determine life. The devil rules to the extent people let him rule. H. Schlier rightly said, “Christ has left the devil only what power unbelief allows him.”[2]

Paul wants us to know who is the real enemy, where is the real battleground. According to Paul, the real enemy is not human beings; it is the devil. The real battleground is not an outwardly visible world; it is an invisible spiritual world. It is our hearts and minds. So how can we win such a battle? The answer is “prayer.” In Exodus 17 the Israelites fight with the Amalekites. Joshua leads the army in battle, while Moses prays on the top of the hill. It turns out whenever Moses raises his hands, Israel is winning, but whenever he lowers his hands, Amalek is winning. But the thing is Moses’ hands grow weary. He couldn’t prevail by himself. So Aaron and Hur hold up Moses’ hands, one on each side. So his hands hold steady until Israel defeats Amalek. From this story we learn this important truth: the pastor (church leaders) must pray for his people; the pastor must be prayed for.

Your Pastor Is a Target 

It is only a common sense when we have a battle, our highest priority is to take down the enemy commander. Then, we win the battle. In the same way, the devil’s highest priority is to take the pastor down and take him out. The Bible says, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” (Mark 14:27) In verse 11 Paul uses the word “scheme” – the schemes of the devil. In other words, the enemy has intentional, well-planned, crafty strategies to bring the pastor down. He has set a trap for the pastor to enter into temptation where his reputation will be harmed. We often hear about a pastor’s moral failure. The enemy uses all kinds of schemes – greed, success, gossip, slander, adultery, addiction (to pornography, to internet gambling, etc.) – to harm the pastor’s reputation and as a result, to stop the work of God’s kingdom.

Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China, once wrote a letter to his mother in the midst of trials. He wrote, “… The need for your prayer has never been greater than at present. Envied by some, despised by many, hated by others, often blamed for things I never heard of or had nothing to do with, an innovator on what have become established rules of missionary practice, an opponent of mighty systems of heathen error and superstition, working without precedent in many respects and with few experienced helpers, often sick in body as well as perplexed in mind and embarrassed by circumstances… If the Lord had not been specially gracious to me, I must have fainted or broken down.”[3] Perhaps Hudson Taylor’s ministry setting would be different from ours today. But then and now, the essence is the same: the pastor (and the church leaders) is a primary target for the enemy. The pastor must be prayed for.

How to Pray for Your Pastor 

Then, how can we pray for the pastor? In today’s passage Paul commends us to pray for at least three specific areas. First, we should pray for protection – protection from the attacks of Satan. We should pray that the pastor would put on the full of God each and every day (14-18). Satan constantly throws “all the flaming darts” at the pastor. He loves to whisper all kinds of accusations and the words of discouragement in his ear, so that the pastor would be discouraged and stop the work. So we must pray, “Lord God, strengthen the hands of our pastor! Give him strength!” (cf. Neh 6:9) Second, we should pray for anointing. Paul asks the saints’ prayers, “Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (19, NRSV). The gospel is revelation. The word of God is unknown, it is mystery until it is revealed by God. The pastor cannot manufacture the message. The message ought to be given to the pastor. So God’s anointing is necessary. Without the anointing, the pastor might still deliver an impressive and eloquent message with his natural talents. But its message cannot penetrate the souls of the people and lead them to repentance and transformation. We need to pray for the pastor to experience the mighty anointing of the Holy Spirit daily. Third, we should pray for meaningful friendships. Since discouragement and challenge are a regular companion of the pastor, he needs strong support system. He needs community. Most of the time, in Paul’s final greetings, he mentions about his co-workers. In Ephesians he introduces Tychicus as his beloved brother and faithful minister (21). In Colossians, Paul introduces Aristarchus as his fellow prisoner (4:10). In Romans, Paul introduces Priscilla and Aquila as his fellow workers, who risked their lives for him (16:3-4). Paul always had traveling companions who encouraged him, suffered with him, and held him accountable. By nature, pastoral ministry can be very lonely and isolated. We need to pray for meaningful friendships and community for the pastor.

What a Preacher, What a Savior 

Charles Spurgeon once said, “No man can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me.” So please do your pastor a true kindness today. Please pray for me to run with endurance the race marked out for me to the end.

I mentioned earlier about Charles Spurgeon. His fame was so extensive. So those who lived in and around London made hearing him preach a “must-do” event. And at that time, there was another famous preacher in London. Many people loved to hear him preach as well. After hearing his message, they said, “What a preacher! He is awesome!” The following week, the same people went to Spurgeon’s church. And after the message, they said, “What a Savior! What a wonderful Savior!” Even Herbert Spencer, the prominent sociologist and infamous agnostic, was invited to Spurgeon’s church by his secretary. Following the sermon, Spencer’s assistant asked him, “Well? What did you think of him?” Spencer responded, “About whom?” “About the preacher, Charles Spurgeon,” his assistant replied. Then, Spencer answered, “Oh, Spurgeon! I haven’t been thinking about him. I’ve been occupied thinking about Spurgeon’s Jesus!”[4] The sermon I am preaching today is my 165th message in our church. I don’t know how many more messages I would preach in the future. But my prayer is that the Lord may protect me against my own sinful heart, self-exalting heart, and that I may faithfully minister God’s word to his people with all my heart, so that Christ will be proclaimed, exalted, glorified. This is my prayer. This is our prayer. Amen.

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[1] “Worship Intercessors,” http://www.prayertoday.org/2007/PDF/Worship-Warriors-Guide2007.pdf
[2] Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians, The NIV Application Commentary Book 10 (Zondervan, 1996), 341.
[3] Dr. Howard and Geraldine Taylor, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret (Moody Publishers, 2009), 154.
[4] “Worship Intercessors”

“I Will Not Let My Church Be about Me” (Phil 2:5-11) - I AM A CHURCH MEMBER III –

“My First Christian Convert” 

I like the story of Eugene Peterson, who wrote The Message paraphrase of the Bible, how he made his friend (or enemy?) convert to Christianity for the first time. When Eugene started first grade, a second-grade bully named Garrison Johns picked him out to be his victim. Most afternoons after school, Garrison would catch Eugene and beat him up. He also found out Eugene was a Christian and taunted him with “Jesus-sissy.” Eugene arrived home most days bruised and humiliated. One day Garrison caught up with Eugene and started jabbing him. That’s when it happened. Peterson wrote: “For a moment, the Bible verses disappeared from my consciousness, and I grabbed Garrison. To my surprise and his, I was stronger than he was. I wrestled him to the ground, sat on his chest, pinned his arms to the ground with my knees, and he was helpless at my mercy. It was too good to be true. I hit him in the face with my fists. It felt good, and I hit him again. Blood spurted from his nose, a lovely crimson in the snow… Then my Christian training reasserted itself. I said, “Say, ‘I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.’” He wouldn’t say it. I hit him again. More blood. I tried again. “Say, ‘I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior,’” and he said it. Garrison Johns was my first Christian convert.”[1]

A Survey That Said a Lot 

When we were a child, we often fought with our siblings because we wanted it “my way.” Christians can sometimes act just like those demanding children. Thom Rainer, author of I Am a Church Member, and his research team recently conducted a survey of churches identified as self-serving and inwardly focused. They found 10 dominant behavior patterns of members in these churches. The following are some of these:[2]

• Worship wars: Church members clash over music styles, instrumentation, and order of service. 
• Facility focus: The church places a high priority on protecting rooms and furniture. 
• Attitudes of entitlement: Church members act as if they deserve special treatment. 
• Greater concern about change than the gospel: Church members get fired up if you move their classroom, but they don’t care much about participating in the work of the gospel. 
• Evangelistic apathy: Members care more about their own needs than the greater eternal needs of the world and community around them. 

From My Way to Jesus’ Way 

In these patterns we can find one thing in common, that is, “my way.” I want the music my way. I want the building my way. I want the ministry program my way. I don’t want to change anything in my church. It is about “me,” “myself,” “my way”. But Paul, in today’s passage, gently invites us to see church membership with a whole different perfective. From a biblical perspective, church membership is about serving, giving, putting others first. Paul commends us, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (5). So what did Jesus do? He was God, but he didn’t think so much of himself. But instead, he emptied himself by becoming human. Not only that, but also he humbled himself by becoming obedient to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Here Jesus shows us the perfect example to follow. He tells us what it means to be a member of his body. We are called to serve. We are called to obey. We are called to put others first and be humble. 

In particular, humility is so important in Christian life. Chrysostom, the early church father, said, “Humility is the foundation of Christianity.” St. Augustine said, “If you should ask me what are the ways of God, I would tell you that the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is humility. Not that there are no other precepts to give, but if humility does not precede all that we do, our efforts our meaningless.” According to Philippians 2, true humility means to put self (“my way”) to death and to put God and others first.

Jesus was so concerned for his disciples to embrace this humility. So when he had the last supper with his disciples before returning to the Father, the very last thing he did was this: the washing of his disciples’ feet. He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:4-5). Jesus has set an example for us. But some of the church traditions interpret his teaching too literally. For instance, still today Mennonites teach that feet-washing is a necessary ordinance in addition to baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Seventh Day Adventists observe it quarterly as ‘the ordinance of humility.’ But in this matter Calvin rightly said, “Christ does not enjoin an annual ceremony here, but tells us to be ready, all through our life, to wash the feet of our brethren.” [3]

Washing the Feet of Others 

In Jesus’ time when people entered a house, the washing of feet was practiced whether by oneself or by somebody else. But we live in a different world, different context. What does it mean to wash the feet of others? It doesn’t mean to wash them literally (although we practice a foot-washing ceremony in certain circumstances), but it does mean to live a life of love. It means to live a life of humble and sacrificial service all through our life. Then, what does it look like to live this humble and sacrificial life in our daily living? I like the way Fred Craddock uses a “25-cents love” analogy, saying, “To give my life for Christ appears glorious. To pour myself out for others…to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom—I’ll do it. I’m ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table—here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all. But the reality for most of us is that He sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid’s troubles instead of saying, ‘Get lost.’ Go to a committee meeting. Give up a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it’s harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul.”[4] What do you think?

For me personally, to wash the feet of others means to live with a 100% mindset, not a 50:50 mindset. You see there is what you can call an “if” love, and there is a “though” love. And the permanent, the lasting love, the unconditional love is the “though” love. Now the “if” love says, “I’ll submit when she submits” or “I’ll sacrifice after he sacrifices.” That’s the “if” love. But the “though” love says, “Though she is kind of mean to me; though he is not supportive of me; nevertheless! I will love her anyway! I will attend the committee meeting anyway. I will support; I will give; I will serve; I will sacrifice; I will visit anyway!” That’s the “though” love. That’s the same mind, same attitude that was also in Christ Jesus!

“Not My Will, But Yours, Be Done!” 

Church unity comes through humility. Church unity comes when we lay aside our ways, our rights, our preferences and put Christ and others first. The question is whether we have an “if-love” mindset, or whether we/x?sda have a “though-love” mindset. So let us examine and ask ourselves: “Am I sticking to certain worship/music style because it gives me comfort, or am I willing to adapt myself to change to reach out new and unchurched people?” “Am I doing this ministry mainly because I like it or because of the church’s needs?” “Am I seeking unity or am I seeking my own way?” Again humility means to put my way aside and to put others and Christ first.

Jesus said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). Christ humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross, because of love for you and me. He endured the cross for the joy, for knowing that you and I would draw near to him through his death on the cross. And God exalted Jesus on high! And now we all confess, “Jesus is Lord!” So today, because of his great love, we humble ourselves out of our love for Christ and others. The Bible promises, as we humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, he will exalt us at the right time (1 Peter 5:6). That reminds me of the beautiful heavenly worship in Revelation 4. God gives his saints the crowns of life, but then they cast their crowns back before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power!” (11) Let us join their unending hymn and say, “Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory!” (Ps 115:1) Amen.

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[1] John Ortberg, Who Is This Man?: The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus (Zondervan, 2012), 134-135.
[2] Thom Rainer, I Am a Church Member (B&H Publishing Group, 2013), 36-38.
[3] John Stott, The Incomparable Christ (InterVarsity Press, 2001), Kindle Locations 2469-2472 of 4606.
[4] Keith Krell, “Work Your Way Down the Ladder” (Philippians 2:5-11), https://bible.org/seriespage/6-work-your-way-down-ladder-philippians-25-11