Going Beyond Superficial Discipleship

Last night I taught a class on the value of doing a genogram of a person’s family of origin. The idea of doing a genogram is to make a chart of your grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles to discover unhelpful patterns and unhealthy practices that have passed through the generations of a family. ( For a helpful explanation of what a genogram is and what a genogram can accomplish, here’s a link to a 4-minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3-WiX_jUC4 )

But to be honest, it’s not uncommon for me to encounter people who are not only uninterested in doing a genogram…they can also be downright resistant. This may be because of some trauma that occurred in their family origin. Or some people feel like digging around in their family’s past is akin to digging up skeletons that should be left in their graves. These concerns are understandable.

But I believe the biggest reason people push back against doing this kind of work is because it challenges us to look inward, dares us to explore the recesses of our lives, and pushes us to get real about any sins, habits, quirks, or false beliefs we may be carrying around.

Which to our minds doesn’t sound like a lot of fun. And often it’s not fun. But not everything that is hard or even painful is bad.Sometimes the best thing for us to do is get real with ourselves!

The problem with ignoring such issues is that as we seek to fold into the family of God, some of the thoughts, attitudes, and practices we learned (almost all of them subconsciously) from our family of origin don’t fit well in our new family of Jesus. It may be how we approach money, or conflict, or anger. It could be how we were taught to handle grief or loss. Or perhaps it’s how we process our feelings and emotions. It may be how we define success. If we are honest, all of us drag things from our past into our present. But there can be some things that, if not dealt with, negatively affect our future.

To do inward spiritual work is difficult. And because it’s difficult, a lot of people avoid it. Rather than go deep, they’ll try to arrange their life with a form of spirituality that is more superficial. For some the solution is to study more and become more doctrinally astute. Other people will get more active in service projects around the church. These aren’t bad things at all!

But I have found that the people who are willing to do the hard work of inward discipleship become the best at discipling and ministering to others. In other words, the more we allow God into our life to shape and transform us, the more we can be used to bless, encourage, and coach others.

Yet, when it comes to our inner selves, many a Christian isn’t to keen on allowing God access to the inner self.

One of the hardest things we will do as followers of Jesus is allow Jesus access into all of who we are. Why? Because it’s humbling. And sometimes painful. But Jesus is meant to be lord over our entire life, not just compartments.

Perhaps too often, the problem is that we’re trying to change everyone else, but ignoring the changes that should be taking place in our lives.

In his book, Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, Pete Scazzero shared this story of these words shared by a Hassidic rabbi on his deathbed:

When I was young, I set out to change the world. When I grew a little older, I perceived that this was too ambitious, so I set out to change my state. This, too, I realized as I grew older was too ambitious, so I set out to change my town. When I realized I could not even do this, I tried to change my family. Now as an old man, I know that I should have started by changing myself. If I had started with myself, maybe then I would have succeeded in changing my family, the town, or even the state – and who knows, maybe even the world!

Easter Message 2023

Here are my notes for the message I shared this morning at CDA Bible Church:

Well, here we are at Easter!

Now I know that Easter is, at its core, the celebration of the resurrection.

• Jesus died in order to atone for sin.
• But Jesus came back to life in order to conquer death.

That’s the nuts and bolts of Easter.

But one way I might try to describe Easter is like this:

Easter is the celebration of the God who brings triumph out of tragedy.

Or as the prophet Isaiah put it, God is the one who can bring forth things of beauty out of a pile of ashes.

Isaiah’s description comes from an amazing passage of scripture that is applied to the life and ministry of Jesus.

(You may remember that this was the passage that Jesus read about himself in the synagogue in Nazareth)

Here’s how the Isaiah passage goes.

Isaiah 6:1-3 NLT: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

Man, what this tells me is that Jesus comes with a ministry of hope.

It’s a ministry that’s about lifting up and rescuing and restoring.

And (as so much of the New Testament describes) it’s a ministry rooted in new life.

But to experience such beautiful things of God we are called to place our trust in Jesus.

That’s the crux of the matter.

See, when we trust Jesus as Savior and King, we position ourselves to enter into relationship with God like never before.

And it’s at this point that God begins to work His life-transforming power within us.

Simply put, as we avail ourselves to God, God takes joy in healing and restoring those areas of our life that have been marked by hurt, disappointment and brokenness.

We got to hear exhibit A and exhibit B this morning when Viki and Adam shared their journey of restoration through trust and reliance upon Jesus!

See, this is God’s grand goal that by trusting Him we would experience all sorts of transformations in our lives.

In earnestly following Jesus, a person can expect to grow into some:

• New perspectives
• New practices
• New priorities
• New purposes

Making things new IS the business of God.

In fact, in Revelation 21:5 Jesus said it clearly:

“I am making all things new!”

And the applies to you and to me.

Adrian Rogers said it well:

The same Jesus Who turned water into wine can transform your home, your life, your family, and your future. He is still in the miracle-working business, and His business is the business of transformation.

So here’s the cool connection between all this personal transformation and what we celebrate on Easter: the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is able to work in you and me to leave behind the old and embrace the new.

Here it is straight from scripture where the apostle Paul shared his heart with Christians in the church at Ephesus:

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

When we come to Jesus by faith…and we continue to pursue Jesus in faith…God is able to work in our lives in amazing ways.

And this is the work of God to bring us back to those places of life God intended for humanity in the first place.

That’s what Easter is all about!

It’s not only about the God who rescues.

It’s also about the God who rebuilds and restores and recommissions broken and wayward humans.

Consider these words from theologian Sam Storms:

You weren’t created for boredom or burnout or bondage to sexual lust or greed or ambition but for the incomparable pleasure and matchless joy that knowing Jesus alone can bring. Only then, in Him, will you encounter the life-changing, thirst-quenching, soul-satisfying delight that God, for His glory, created you to experience.

On Good Friday Jesus dealt with problem of our sin that separates us from God.

But on Resurrection Sunday, Jesus showed us that the hope of new life is possible for every man, woman or child that puts their faith in Him.

You know, one of the things I often say during a Christmas Eve service is this:

“Don’t miss Christmas!”

And why do I say that? Because Christmas is full of distractions that can potentially pull us away from focusing on the story of Jesus’ birth.

But this morning let me say this: “Don’t miss Easter!”

• Don’t miss out on Easter’s promise.
• Don’t miss out on Easter’s hope.
• Don’t miss out on Easter’s power.

Believe in Jesus

Embrace Jesus

Follow Jesus

Because the only place to find life…true life as God intends…is in the person and work of the risen Savior.

“Not So With You”

The four words in the title of this post are found nestled in a key section of scripture: Matthew 20:20-28.

Matthew 20:20-28 records the time Jesus’ disciples started thinking about how roles would be divvied up in Jesus’ coming kingdom. This all got started because a mom of two of the disciples (James and John) approached Jesus with a request:

“In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

Who doesn’t love a mom who looks out for her kids?

But what was on this mother’s mind was a desire for her sons to gain the best seats in the kingdom. In the culture of the day, to sit on either side of Jesus meant power, influence and honor.

Essentially, the mother of James and John was asking Jesus to allow her sons to be the “big shots” directly under Jesus.

James and John must have been standing right there when their mom made her appeal, because Jesus immediately turns His attention on them. And Jesus asks a most interesting question:

“You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

James and John’s response reveals how little they understood about the type of kingdom Jesus was putting together. They blithely answer, “Oh yes, we are able!” Oh, how much the still had to learn!

But Jesus isn’t afraid to speak some hard truth into their lives:

“You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

Well, if the request was meant to be a secret, it didn’t stay a secret for long. The Bible describes the reaction of the other ten as being indignant. (But I have to wonder if part of their resentment was because they didn’t think of asking Jesus first.)

Now Jesus has 12 disciples who are all worked up and frustrated. What’s He to do? For Jesus, it seemed like a good time for a team meeting. And what Jesus shared is one of the most important lessons any follower of Jesus needs to learn:

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Did you catch it? That little four-word phrase: “Not so with you.”

This concept is something every Christian has to grapple with.

Because we can be just like the disciples.

We can pursue power.

We can desire influence.

We can seek after honor.

We can want to make things about us.

But the follower of Jesus follows the example of Jesus.

And Jesus wasn’t about climbing to the top.

No, Jesus seemed intent on crawling to the bottom.

One way of describing all this is to think about a business flow chart. Typically, the chart is shaped like a pyramid with the CEO, president, boss being at ruling over a host of employees. But in Jesus economy, the flow chart gets flipped. Rather than ruling others, the follower of Jesus seeks to serve others.

How challenging is this in our current culture where people can be guilty of climbing over others to grab hold of a place of power, affluence, or comfort?

I’d say super challenging!

But those four words, “Not so with you” are a constant reminder that the kingdom of Jesus is very different from the kingdoms of the world.

It’s a kingdom populated by humble servants, not people concerned about roles, titles, or status.

Christmas Eve Message 2022

This is the transcript of the message I shared at our December 24 Christmas Eve Service:

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE 2022

“ARE YOU READY FOR CHRISTMAS?”

Well, here it is. Christmas Eve. We finally made it! Tomorrow is Christmas.

For the past several weeks, almost everyone here has, to one degree or another, been super busy.

Planning and preparing. Hustling and bustling. Hosting, shopping and decorating

Hopefully by now you’re ready! If not…well time is almost up!

But here’s the deal. There’s really only ONE WAY to be ready for Christmas. It’s by knowing what Christmas is really about and rightly responding to the true message of Christmas

Think about it:

• You can hang up all the Christmas lights.
• You can trim the Christmas tree.
• You can attend a bunch of Christmas parties.
• You can eat a ton of Christmas goodies.
• You can even watch all the Christmas movies.

But you can still miss out on Christmas. Because even though all these things can be fun, they really aren’t what the true meaning of Christmas is about.

Christmas, in a word, is about Jesus. Both the person of Jesus and the mission of Jesus.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, which of course, sets everything in motion regarding the reason Jesus came to earth. This is the reason Christmas exists!

And what a gift Jesus is! Jesus isn’t just a gift we should want. Jesus is the gift we desperately need.

Regarding our personal need for Jesus, perhaps one of the clearest sections of scripture is found in Matthew’s Gospel.

It’s a passage that describes how Joseph was informed by an angel on how to handle the fact that his fiancé, Mary, had become pregnant.

Matthew 1:18-21 NLT

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Notice there in verse 21 we discover the reason why Jesus came to earth. Jesus came to save. Specifically, Jesus came to rescue us from our sins.

One of the most paradoxical things about Jesus is this: Jesus was born for the purpose of dying. Yes, the Christmas story begins in a stable. But the story of Jesus ultimately finds its way to a cross. That’s where Jesus paid for the sins we are completely unable to pay for ourselves.

In our broader culture, the image of baby Jesus lying a manger in Bethlehem usually evokes a measure of sentimentality and feelings of peace and love. And, certainly, Christmas is a great time to enjoy warm emotions. But enjoying the birth of a baby is not the end goal of Christmas. No…it’s much more than that!!!!

Jesus himself declared his ultimate life purpose when he said these words found in Luke 19:10,

“The Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.”

I like how Alistair Begg summed up the idea of Christmas being MORE than just a celebration of a new birth:

Christmas had as its goal Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Resurrection Sunday, when Christ utterly triumphed over death, dealt it a lethal blow, and paved the path to reconciliation with God. This was Christ’s mission, accomplished on the cross, where He gave Himself up for His people. Christmas, then, is actually about the love Jesus displayed on the cross, for “greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

At the cross, Jesus didn’t only pay for our sins.

No, the cross is also the place where Jesus provided for us that we might experience life as God originally intended. A life in relationship with God, rather in rebellion to God. At the cross, Jesus not only redeemed us from sin, He reconciled to our Creator.

How’s THAT for a Christmas present!?!

Here’s how the Apostle Paul talked about the fact that it is only through Jesus that we can discover peace in our fractured relationship with God.

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NLT)

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

THIS is the message of Christmas.

• The opportunity to be free from the penalty of sin.

• And the opportunity to know God in a way we could never know Him without Jesus.

Rather than knowing God as a distant, wrathful judge, we can now know God as caring, intimate Father.

And this is all because of Jesus. God’s grand gift to humanity.

But don’t miss this: Jesus is a gift we must receive. It’s not enough to simply appreciate Jesus. To experience God as we were meant to, we must trust and believe in the person and work of Jesus.

Here’s how the Apostle John explained it in his Gospel letter:

John 3:16-17 (ESV)

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

So, in light of the crystal-clear message of these verses, let me ask: Have you experienced Christmas yet? Are you ready for Christmas? Because a Christmas without Jesus really isn’t much of a Christmas at all.

Over the past 4 weeks of Advent, we’ve zeroed in on 4 key Christmas themes: hope, love, joy and peace.

And because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, hope, love, joy and peace can be ours. That surely is reason to celebrate! God sent us his very own Son to die that we might have life.

Let’s bring this message home.

For me, no Christmas Carol captures the true meaning of Christmas than the familiar “HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING,” particularly the words of the 3^rd verse. Here’s how it goes:

Hail, the heav’n-born Prince of peace, hail the Son of Righteousness

Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by, born that we no more may die

Born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth

Hark! The herald angels sing, glory to the newborn King!

Advent: Holy Anticipation

The word ADVENT means “arrival” or “appearing” And when it comes to the original Christmas story of 2000 years ago, there was definitely a spirit of waiting and longing among God’s people for the promised Messiah to show up!

Advent captures the hope, belief, and desire that, at some point in the future, things are going to get better.

In the times of the OT, people were longing for the Messiah’s first advent. In our day, we yearn for Jesus second advent.

We too know the feeling that things aren’t as they should be or could be. We live in a world of pain…strife…confusion. Paul expressed an Advent spirit when he wrote these words to the Philippians:

Philippians 3:17-21 NLT: 17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

This is the spirit of Advent. The anticipation that comes with looking forward to something better. Paul also touched on the longing nature of Advent when he wrote these words in his letter to the Romans:

Romans 8:22 NLT: For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the world is not right. In fact, that’s been the case since Genesis 3. The newspaper headlines may change, but the reality of ongoing human sin and struggle hasn’t. The world is sick with sin and cries out for redemption.

Here’s a guess I’ll make about all of us: 2022 had its share of disappointments, letdowns and setbacks. And in the same way, 2023 will leave us longing as well.

• We’ll be disappointed with our political leaders.
• We won’t see eye to eye with friends and family on important issues.
• We’ll watch the news and feel despair.
• Some of us will suffer some big setbacks, such as sickness, or financial loss or the passing of a loved one.

Yes, in 2023 God will also bless us with many good gifts, but at the end of the day, we’ll likely still be stuck with feelings of longing for better things. Thus, Advent reminds us that we have only one hope, and that hope is Jesus.

Oh, how much we need to focus on the One who one day will satisfy our true desires but will also set the world to what it should be. Even as we long, we can be filled with hope. Why? Because Jesus is coming.

So why do take time to observe Advent? The big reason is to help us focus. You and I know how Christmas can get. Christmas can really busy and really crazy. And with all that busyness and craziness can come a lot of stress and pressure. Some people say that the Christmas season is the most stress-filled time of the year! People can get exhausted. disillusioned and depressed.

Advent is one way to help us get retuned, refocused and realigned with what Christmas is really about.

I like how blog writer Adam Ramsey described this ALL TO COMMON STRUGGLE a lot of us have between the secular Christmas and the Christmas that is sacred:

“Advent is a time for priming our hearts to treasure Christ. Yet amid all the frenetic end-of-year chaos, it’s so easy to squander these precious moments of waiting. Many of us know all too well what it’s like for December to blur by—what it’s like to arrive on the doorstep of Christmas as another exhausted casualty of our consumeristic age. And what exhausts us? Reacting. Organizing. Shopping. Planning. Wrapping. Budgeting. Stressing. Eating. Stress-eating. So, I am writing to those who, like me, need to slow down and embrace the oft-missed words of the famous carol, “Let every heart prepare him room.”

Let’s be honest. It’s really easy to push Jesus into a corner at Christmas time. Yes, we know that Jesus is the “reason for the season,” but somehow, some way, our Christmases often leave Jesus overshadowed by all the busyness and consumerism. At a time of year when the spotlight should be on Jesus, it often seems to shine on everything but Jesus!

So, that’s the reason for Advent: To gently encourage us to make more and more space for Jesus.

Truth be told, to fully experience Advent demands some discipline on our part.

• It may mean saying “yes” to some things and “no” to others.
• It means we have to make a concerted effort to keep Christ in Christmas.
• It means we’ll have to slow down in order that Christmas doesn’t – one again – become a blur.

This Christmas season let’s make it our aim to slow down rather than hurry up, to not miss the invitation that Advent is to us. Let’s ask God to teach us how to wait and pray with eager longing for the coming of Jesus…and for his new creation.

Everyone a Minister

Too often, the church is made up a percentage of people who are actively involved in service and mission, while another percentage of people are, essentially, acting as spectators.

But that’s not God’s plan for His people.

God wants everyone to get into the game.

One passage of scripture that talks about this comes from Ephesians 4, which describes how God wants to use certain people in the church to equip everyone else in the church to greater ministry ability and capacity:

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT)
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Early in my Christian life (and for far longer than I’d like to admit), I had it in my mind that a church hires pastors to do all the work of ministry.

And by work of ministry I mean things like:

-Caring for people -Visiting the sick -Meeting needs -Teaching the Word -Discipling people -Praying

My thinking was the church hired pastors to do such work so I didn’t have to!

But Ephesians 4 takes that that kind of thinking and completely blows it apart!!!

The church leaders (leaders who serve) help train, equip and encourage the people of the church to serve, and then the leaders of the church join in at serving as well!

I think back to when I was going to church as a teenager and all the people who were serving in the youth ministry:

• We had teachers and small group leaders.
• We had worship leaders.
• People volunteered to be counselors at camp.
• Moms and dads volunteered to open their homes as well as drives to events.

Imagine if all these “non-pastors” didn’t believe they had a calling from God to make a difference in the life of teenagers!

I’m so glad they listened to God and obeyed Him!

Now the cool thing in all of this is the idea that God provides for every person who follows Jesus particular God-given abilities to help other Christians grow.

If we go up just a few verses to the beginning of Ephesians 4, we find Paul making a huge plea for the church members in Ephesus to be united in heart, mind and spirit.

And in verses 4-6, Paul seeks to remind them (and us) of all we share in common:

Ephesians 4:4-6 (NLT)
4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

These are all the things we share in common and make us able to bond together in faith. hope, peace and love.

But, then in verse 7 Paul writes somethings really interesting:

Ephesians 4:7 (NLT)
However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.

The more accurate way to translate that word “gift” is with the word grace, which comes from the Greek word, “charis.”

Meaning God graces all believers in unique, special ways. And the idea behind these graces (or as some like to call them, grace gifts is each Christian having a certain ability that helps Christians grow and the church become more and more mature.

And if you spend some time poking around in passages like Romans or 1 Corinthians 12 1 Peter 4, you can find out what some of those gifts are.

Gifts like:

• Teaching
• Encouraging
• Showing mercy
• Wisdom/discernment
• Generosity.

Overall, Paul’s point here in Ephesians 4 is this: God prepares and enables Christians to serve and minister to others through two different means: internal gifting/external equipping. Meaning, here’s really no excuse why every Christian shouldn’t be involved in sort of ministry and service.

What’s sad to is how in many of our churches there is a sort of gap between what we clergy and the laity.

Bible commentator William MacDonald put it this way:

Limitation of Christian service to a select class of people hinders the development of God’s people, stifles the cause of evangelism, and stunts the growth of the church. The distinction between clergy and laity is unscriptural and perhaps the greatest single hindrance to the spread of the Gospel.

So, a few questions:
• Are you in a position where you are being trained and equipped so you can serve others?
• Are you taking what you learning and using it to make a difference in the lives of others?

It’s Not Just What You Know

I know this is an over exaggeration, but it can sometimes feel like Christians are mainly concerned with the facts regarding the faith. The idea being that the primary goal of Christianity is to get our “God facts” in order.

Now, I’ll be the first to say that understanding truths about God and Christianity is important. In fact, believing wrong things about God can get us into trouble.

When the apostle John wrote his first letter, much of it was meant to refute some nefarious ideas regarding the nature of Jesus. John went to great lengths to get things back on track for some who had bought into these bogus concepts about Christ.

But here’s my thing. Just because we have information about God, doesn’t mean we have God all figured out. Much about God is a mystery!

I believe God has let us know as much as we need to know about Him. But certainly, that doesn’t mean we know every single aspect of our creator. Of the mysteries surrounding God, Billy Graham wrote:

“The word “mystery” is used many times in Scripture. Some of the mysteries of the past have been fathomed by science. Others still bewilder mankind. This fact remains: All of the garnered wisdom of the ages is only a scratch on the surface of man’s search for the knowledge of the universe. For the most part, God retains His secrets, and man standing on his intellectual tiptoes can comprehend only a small fraction of the Lord’s doings.“

The apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 11:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?

When it comes to God, some things are absolute secrets, while other times God reveals to us just enough to get our heads spinning.

For example, how does it work that Jesus is both God and human at the same time? Or how is God one, but also three? How did God come into being? And how did God create so much out of nothing? Or how about figuring out how God’s sovereignty and human free will plays out. All big questions that theologians have been wrangling over for centuries.

Here’s another thing to throw into the mix: when it comes to one’s theology, doing is just as important as knowing.

Simply put, just having a brain filled up will all sorts of information about God isn’t enough. In fact, it often makes people proud, judgmental and lacking in mercy.

Presenting ourselves to God isn’t about how many degrees we have.  It isn’t about how much Bible knowledge we have.  It isn’t about how much experience we have.  It’s about experiencing the life that has been changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. And out of the Spirit-transformed life comes fresh, new attitudes and actions. We begin to live out Scripture, not just know what it says.

Sadly, Jesus called out the Pharisees for being steeped in knowledge, but falling way short of living out what God actually prescribes. He told them in John 5:39:

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.”

The Pharisees thought that answers were in the information. But Jesus let them know that the answers are found in a person…specifically, Jesus.

It’s necessary to know things about God in order to worship, serve and love Him. But Christians are called to not only know the truth, but also to act on the truth that has been revealed to them through God’s grace.

Truth be told, gathering information about God and Christianity is easy. But living what we learn about God and Christianity is much harder. Yes, we must learn our precepts, but those precepts are meant to become our practice.

All Hands On Deck

Some 60 years ago, President John F. Kennedy made a statement in his 1961 inaugural address that has remained in our national consciousness:

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Essentially, JFK was calling the people of the nation to sacrifice, unity and a commitment to the common good.

Not a bad vision for the well-being of our country!

In the same vein, I think the same request can be made of the church.

“Ask not what your church can do for you, but what you can do for your church.”

Truth be told, when it comes to church involvement, we live in times of great consumerism.

People often come to a church not looking to invest, but to withdraw.

It might be said that church has become more of a spectator sport, with actual ministry participation at historic lows

But that’s not how the scriptures describe the proper function of the church.

In scripture, the church is likened to a human body, what with all it’s interesting and necessary parts working together.

Imagine if your foot or your eye decided it wasn’t important or needed anymore and wanted to stop doing its part. Would you notice? I bet you would!

The apostle Paul used the body analogy to get us thinking how every part of the body in vital to functionality. Check out what he wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:14-17:

Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.  If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.  And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

The bottom line is this: everyone in the church should be serving in some manner. That’s because service is foundational to what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

On more than one occasion, Jesus had to remind his disciples that they weren’t being fitted power or prominence, but for service and sacrifice. In one instance, Jesus put it like this:

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

The health of a local church depends on the participation of its members. If most of the members are spectating, and only a few of the members are serving, the church will suffer greatly.

Humility: A Primary Mark of Holy Week

When you think of a king, what words come to mind? What about when you think of a servant? Do the lives of a king and a servant have a lot in common?

Not usually.

That’s why it’s so amazing to think that the King of Heaven and earth left the glory of Heaven to live in a messed-up world as a servant to humanity.

In a world where people are tempted to focus on gaining power, prestige or profits, God has gave us Jesus, the perfect example of putting others’ needs above our own.

And, if we look at the life of Jesus during Holy Week, His humility is front and center.

When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem (on what we refer to as Palm Sunday). the expectation of many was He would be a conquering, military Messiah. The people of Israel had lived under Roman occupation for some time, and they dreamed of a day when Rome would be finally shown the door.

But the manner in which Jesus entered Jerusalem seemed hardly king-like. Instead of riding on a gallant steed, Jesus was carried by a young donkey. This image is a reminder that Jesus didn’t come in pride or power, but in lowly humility.

And the theme of humility carried over into the upper room gathering right before Jesus’ arrest. As the disciples came into the room, Jesus insisted on washing their feet. But some of the disciples balked, because foot washing was a task reserved for lowly servants. Peter responded to the idea of Jesus washing his feet like this: “Jesus, you will never wash my feet!”

But Jesus didn’t relent. Here’s how the rest of the conversation went:

Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” “One who has bathed,” Jesus told him, “doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who would betray him. This is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” (John 13:8-11)

All in all, the scene in the upper room was one of immense humility, gentleness and servanthood.

Even when Jesus was arrested, he didn’t resist or lash out. His words were few and to the point.

All in all, Jesus consistently displayed humility throughout Holy Week. In fact, humility was a mark of Jesus entire ministry. So much so, Paul wrote about Jesus’ humility to encourage Jesus’ followers to follow in his lowly footsteps. I like how Eugene Peterson captures Philippians 2:5-8 in his paraphrase of the Bible:

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

If we are going to be like Jesus, then humility will be something we have to take seriously. Instead of personal prominence or glory, we must pursue the heart and actions of a servant.

The Essentials: Enough to Keep us Busy

Why are there so many church denominations?

One of the main reasons is that some Christians like to bicker about non-essential doctrines. So much so, that they are willing to break fellowship over them.

Yet, typically, non-essential doctrines aren’t as clear as orthodox, essential doctrines. Some non-essential doctrines are downright murky and confusing. The fact that they can’t be completely pinned down a big reason they can’t be listed as essential.

Orthodox Christianity rallies around doctrinal points such as the deity of Christ, the reality of the resurrection, the inspiration of scripture and salvation by faith. These are the types of doctrines we can’t become squishy about.

Essential doctrines can be found threaded throughout our Bibles. In other words, these doctrines are confirmed by scripture over and over again. Which give us great confidence. That’s what helps us view them as essential. They are clear!

It’s important to know which doctrinal hills to die on. But, from what I’ve experienced, some people think every point of doctrine is worthy of embracing with the same level of conviction.

Sadly, this approach often breeds strife and disunity.

Have you noticed? Most church splits aren’t over the essentials. They’re typically a result of disagreement on lesser issues. Sometimes reasons for a church split can be utterly ridiculous.

Now, I have no problem with people looking through their Bibles in order to better understand things like prophecy, end times, exercise of spiritual gifts, or church leadership structures.

But when those issues move to the forefront and divide people, I think we’re missing the point. It would seem to me we have forgotten how the essentials of Christianity are meant to glue us together so we can work through non-essential issues with grace.

Unity in Jesus’ church is so important that Jesus prayed about it to His Father. Here’s how John recorded that prayer:

²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-26 NIV)

Satan finds great joy in dividing Christians.

And one way he accomplishes this is tempting us into arguments about theological issues that ought not be classified as essential.

Many years ago, I was at a pastor’s conference of about 50,000 pastors. One of the speakers was speaking on the topic of unity, and he took us through a short exercise that made a profound point.

At first, he asked all the people in the domed stadium to shout out the denomination they represented. The result was an indistinguishable cacophony of noise.

Then, the speaker asked us to say the name of the Savior who rescued and redeemed us. All at the same moment, a single word filled the stadium: “Jesus!”

Too often we spend our time focusing on how we disagree with other believers.

I would suggest that we would do much better to focus on things we do agree on.

Sure, we can discuss different perspectives on scripture. But let’s be wary if our perspectives are so entrenched, they create divisions between us and other Jesus’ followers.

I’ve always thought that if our personal statement of faith is too lengthy, we ought to go back and make sure what we’ve listed are things that really matter.

My hunch is this: if we focus more on our commonality in Christ, we’ll likely have way less dissension and fewer divides.