Category: 1 Corinthians (Page 18 of 21)

By All Possible Means

March 17, 2010 / Allan / 5 Comments

“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” ~1 Corinthians 9:22

There are stumbling blocks in the Gospel message. Big-time stumbling blocks. The cross of Christ is a huge one. The call to sacrifice and service messes people up. The Resurrection can get in the way. The requirement to surrender is a problem. The directive to die is another one. The Lordship of Jesus can be a real issue.

Those are all certainly necessary components to the Good News. But if we’re not consistently preaching and teaching and living those things, then it’s not Christianity. It’s another religion, entirely.

Our mission as God’s Church is to remove each and every unnecessary obstacle, to strip away the things that would prevent an unbelieving world from accepting the grace and forgiveness of Christ. That doesn’t mean running away from our traditions or carelessly discarding our practices. It doesn’t mean we treat our heritage flippantly.

It does mean we are constantly evaluating the things we do and the reasons we do them. It means we are always thinking and reflecting. And we measure our message against the will of our God and the mind of our Christ: not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

It means that when we consider a change, we don’t ask, “How will this affect me?” or “What if this upsets one of our members?” We ask, “How will this reach someone on the outside?” And if it might, we take the risk and we do it. Boldly.

We need to be less concerned with our own congregations and church structure and organization and worship practices and much more concerned with understanding our culture, getting inside the heads of the people around us and determining what makes them tick. We should be eaten up with trying to figure out their access points to the Gospel.

We should never ask, “How many Church of Christ people live within ten miles of our building and how do we get them here?” We should ask, “How many lost people live within ten miles of our building? And how do we win them for Christ?”

Yes, we need to be faithful to our past. But we also need to be faithful to our future. That’s a God-ordained responsibility, too.

Paul says “by all possible means.”

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More empty tomb “tags” from around our community:

How about that “tag” on the grave marker there? Paul Brightwell’s dad died almost a year ago. He sent me that picture last night with these words: “I laughed; then I cried, thinking, someday, because of the empty tomb, we will see each other again; and then I rejoiced.”

That’s what Resurrection Conversations are all about. That’s what the power of the Resurrection and the hope of the Resurrection is all about.

Keep applying those decals. Keep dropping those cards. And when people ask, tell them that the tomb is empty. And tell them that means death has nothing on you. And neither does sin.

Peace,

Allan

We Put Up With Anything…

March 16, 2010 / Allan / 1 Comment

“We put up with anything rather than hinder the Gospel of Christ.” ~1 Corinthians 9:12

Most of the rules and regulations we devise to keep our “decency and order” intact in the church are motivated, I believe, by our deep desire to keep from offending our brothers and sisters. And that’s not an awful motivation. It’s noble, I think, to not want to do anything that would hurt a fellow Christian. It’s very Christ-like, actually.

The problem comes when those brothers and sisters insist on rules and regulations — and even more rules and regulations — so they’re not offended. When believers impose their own comfort zones and cultural or generational preferences on fellow Christians so as not to be offended, it’s just flat-out wrong. They use the “weak” brother position as a weapon of power. They use “weak” as a means to control. And it’s ungodly.

Paul tells us to be careful that the exercise of the great freedom we have in Christ does not become a stumbling block to the weak (1 Cor. 8:9). In that same context — same paragraph — Paul defines the “weak” as a brand new Christian who was just worshiping idols in the pagan temples a few days earlier. These “weak” Christians are still wet behind the ears, figuratively, of course. Still dripping from their very recent baptisms (8:7). And then he goes on to explain that causing a “weak” brother or sister to stumble means to cause them to participate in activities that violate their own consciences (8:10-11).

Generally speaking, the complainers among us are never in a million years going to adopt the practice(s) against which they are railing. Generally speaking, those who gripe are never going to defile their conscience by participating in the debated activity. Generally speaking, these brothers and sisters we’re trying so hard not to offend are not brand new Christians, either. They should know better.

“Why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?” ~1 Corinthians 10:29-30

Paul says we should not cause anyone to stumble, not “grumble.”

If you see a fellow Christian drinking a beer or worshiping God with a piano or sporting a nose ring or vacationing in Vegas or taking communion on Saturday night, leave it alone. Even if you’re really offended. Leave it alone. The only complaint you have is if by seeing these offending practices you begin participating in them yourself and violate your conscience. Let me know when that happens.

“I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” ~1 Corinthians 9:19

“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” ~1 Corinthians 9:22

“Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” ~1 Corinthians 10:24

“I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” ~1 Corinthians 10:33

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Corey and Emily Mullins, Legacy’s missionaries to Australia, are now proud parents of a brand new baby boy. Enoch Elian was born yesterday at 6-pounds-2.5-ounces and 18.5-inches long. Congratulations! You can read all about it and see all the pictures by clicking here to the Mullins’ blog. I got an email last night from Mark Hooper that simply said, “The Mullins’ baby was born naked. Please pray for him.”

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More than 900 empty tomb T-shirts arrived here this morning. Many wonderful volunteers are tirelessly sorting and packaging the shirts for pick-up on Sunday. We also received 300 more empty tomb decals today to meet the still-steady demand. And we still have nearly 3,000 of the empty tomb cards ready to go.

More importantly, the stories keep coming in, too.

The Legacy Church of Christ is engaging our community with the Gospel. Resurrection Conversations are happening out there. Mike Trader with his IT guy at work who saw the empty tomb on Mike’s phone. Keith Alexander and a group of 30 by-standers at a Goodwill store who were intrigued by the “saw blade” design and the “piece of toast.” Richard Ashlock at work. My family at Rosa’s. All the Legacy school kids having Resurrection Conversations in class, during lunch, and in the halls.

We’re hoping that saturating our community with the empty tomb images, and the resultant conversations, will get people into our building during the Resurrection Renewal here April 4-7. A wonderful side benefit for us is that our mindset is being directed to people and things outside our building, not inside. We’re looking out now, not in. And that’s critical for anyone who calls himself a disciple of Christ.

Peace,

Allan

Love Builds Up

March 15, 2010 / Allan / 0 Comments

“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.” ~1 Corinthians 8:1-2

The “gray areas” of Christian faith and practice are always the ones that get us in trouble. Beliefs and actions that are neither good nor bad in and of themselves tend to be the very things that polarize us and cause ungodly strife and division.

Paul sees the Corinthians church dividing over, among many things, the practice of eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols in pagan temples. The apostle goes out of his way to tell the Christians there that 1) what is good for one believer may not be good for another, 2) true discernment in these matters takes love, not knowledge, and 3) disciples of Jesus have no right to demand their own way.

Whew! That’s tough.

See, the easy thing to do is to just make a whole bunch of rules that legislate exactly what Christians can and cannot do. An even easier solution is to just allow everything, tolerate everything, in the name of Christian grace. The more difficult thing is to advocate and practice that crucial balance between total permissiveness and complete legalism.

Unfortunately, I get the feeling that we’ve been guilty of prohibiting the “gray area” practices that are amoral — neither good nor bad, such as eating meat sacrificed to idols — and allowing or ignoring practices in our churches that are clearly immoral — evil, un-Christ-like. We’ve wound up tolerating immoral behavior and outlawing things that really don’t matter at all.

We’ve gotten it so messed up, maybe, because it’s so much easier to just make a bunch of rules and judge people and praise people and condemn people—even our own brothers and sisters—according to our own pleasures and comfort zones. We tolerate adultery in our churches but we hold meetings and produce positions on clapping hands during “Shine, Jesus, Shine.” We look the other way on drunkenness and shady business dealings but condemn Christians who worship God with guitars. We laugh at and forward racial emails and jokes that make fun of or attack people based on nationality or income or geography but we worry to death over a Christian drinking wine with his lasagna or enjoying an evening of dancing.

“Food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.” ~1 Corinthians 8:8

There’s no spiritual advantage in allowing these “gray areas” or in prohibiting them. None. So, Paul says, concern for your Christian brother or sister is what takes priority. That’s what it really means to follow Christ. That’s really what “love builds up” means.

(Concern for offending your Christian brother or sister by your actions is NOT what Paul’s talking about here. He says don’t cause your brother to “stumble,” not “grumble.”

Maybe we’ll talk about that tomorrow.)

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The “Caps for Tags” deadline is tomorrow, Tuesday March 16. Those empty tomb decals are showing up all over Northeast Tarrant County and flooding my inbox. We’re judging them in three categories: visibility (seen by lots of people), originality (I never thought of putting a sticker “there”), and hospitality (a picture of the decal and the people who gave you permission to stick it). As always, click on the picture to get the full size.

Keep ’em coming!

Peace,

Allan

I Think We're Ignorant

January 27, 2010 / Allan / 1 Comment

There are people in our churches who believe they are no good to the Body. There are older brothers and sisters, Christians in poor health, disciples who can’t get around, people who don’t have outgoing personalities or character traits who feel inadequate because they’re not leading visible, out front, out loud, center stage ministries. They feel unimportant. Un-needed. They feel small in the Kingdom. They compare themselves to big-money givers or big-time leaders or big-mouthed preachers and they feel they come up short.

1 Corinthians 12. Paul says he doesn’t want the Christians in Corinth to be ignorant about spiritual gifts. He doesn’t want them to be led astray. He doesn’t want there to be any misunderstandings about gifts given by the Holy Spirit of God to individual disciples to be used in God’s service and to God’s eternal glory.

I think we’re ignorant.

Every single Christian is blessed with spiritual gifts. Every single person who makes the Christian confession — “Jesus is Lord!” — does so by the Holy Spirit. It’s impossible to be a confessing Christian and not possess these gifts. And Paul tells us very plainly that all these gifts are equal in importance to him and to the Kingdom. They’re all exactly the same.

There are different kinds of gifts but they all come from the same God. There are different kinds of service, different kinds of works, but they all come from the same Spirit of the Father. And, remember, they’re all gifts. They’re gifts! You don’t deserve them. You didn’t do anything to earn them. Neither did the Bible class teacher or the youth deacon or the guy who built the shelves in the church pantry. They’re given to each individual by the Spirit of God “just as he determines.”

I promise you that the discouraged person you warmly greet at the church door on Sunday morning is more touched by your smile and your hug and your sincerity than he is by the songs that Howard picks out and leads. I guarantee that the casserole you deliver to the grieving widow means as much — or much more — than the words said by the preacher at the funeral. I know that changing the oil in that single mother’s car blesses her much more than an eloquent prayer from the pulpit or an efficiently-run children’s program.

The lady who picks up and sorts all the attendance cards on Sunday afternoons. The guy who changes the lightbulbs in the worship center. The man who fixes the computers in the church office. The woman who helps in the nursery.

And a lot of these people say, “Well, that’s just what I do.” It’s a talent. It’s an ability. It’s something I enjoy doing. But…

…it’s not really a “spiritual” gift.

That’s where we’re ignorant.

Your talent becomes a gift from the Spirit when you submit it wholly to the Spirit to be used by the Spirit for his Kingdom purposes. “God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them (including you!), just as he wanted them to be.” That thing you do, no matter what it is, is a spiritual gift! God can move mountains when you install a ceiling fan. God can mend broken hearts when you write a letter. God can heal wounded souls when you buy a lunch. God will reveal his glory when you do what you do in his name.

We’re guilty of exalting the more visible and high-profile gifts. We talk more about the bigger and louder gifts. They get more space in the church bulletin. But in God’s economy, all spiritual gifts are exactly the same. Holding the songbook for the older lady next to you is an exercise of a spiritual gift. It’s just as important as what the preacher’s doing up there. And, probably, a whole lot more meaningful to her.

Peace,

Allan

Let Us Astound Them

January 13, 2010 / Allan / 0 Comments

Let us astound them by our way of life. For this is the main battle, the unanswerable argument, the argument from actions. For though we give ten thousand precepts of philosophy in words, if we do not exhibit a better life than theirs, the gain is nothing. For it is not what is said that draws their attention, but their inquiry is what we do. Let us win them therefore by our life.

~John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians, 4th century CE

Common to Man

December 15, 2009 / Allan / 2 Comments

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.” ~1 Corinthians 10:13

We live in an age of unparalleled developments in technology. We are subject now to an unprecedented and seemingly endless stream of information. We face new physical and emotional and mental diseases that were unheard of a century ago. Natural disasters and human warfare are on the rise, not the decline. And all of these things are adding to the amount of suffering in this world. It might be that human suffering is, today, occurring on a scale unmatched in the history of mankind.

Isn’t it reassuring to know that the temptations we face are nothing new?

External circumstances are different. Very different. But the spiritual dynamics of what we face as God’s children living in these circumstances remain unchanged. The natural inclination to say “my problems” or “our issues” or “this country” is/are different or worse than what anyone else has ever experienced is simply not accurate. The contemporary practice of blaming the way I am on God or my parents or our society or the devil is just not right, unless it also includes an honest acknowledgement of my own sinful nature.

Nothing has changed. Everything’s the same. We have always been tempted to depend on ourselves instead of God. We’ve always been tempted to trust ourselves and our own strength while putting our God and Savior on the backburner. Yes, we need our Father in heaven. But we don’t need him for everything. Yes, our God is important. But he’s not that important.

“God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” ~1 Corinthians 10:13

I think sometimes we want to re-write the above verse to read, “…so that you don’t have to stand up under it any longer.” We’ll complain sometimes that God didn’t provide the “way out” because he didn’t deliver me from the troubling situation. That, of course, is just the opposite of what Paul wrote. It’s the opposite of what he intends. It’s the opposite of what God inspired. The “way out” isn’t the removal of the temptation. It’s not the removal of the situation or the circumstance in which you find yourself being tempted. The “way out” is the strength provided by the Spirit of God, the endurance and perseverence provided to stand strong and faithful under the pressure.

Look back at the times you’ve yielded to temptation. Last year. In the last hour. Who knows what would have happened if you had just hung on for 30-more seconds. If you had just stood strong and said ‘no’ to the temptation for just half-a-minute more, who knows if the temptation itself wouldn’t have just vanished. You don’t know how close you really were to that victory over Satan, to that tremendous boost of confidence that comes with defeating the devil and his schemes.

Be strong. Walk with your God always, faithful to the end. You’re not going through anything right now that’s not common to man. He knows. He endured the same things. And he will give you the power you need to stand up under it.

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Allright, I need your help. I’ve asked once, with no reply. I’ll try one more time:

Can anybody find an explanation or a reason the Dallas Cowboys are not sporting a 50th season patch on their uniforms this year? Have you read anything or heard anything about it? The team wore “Silver Season” patches in 1984 to celebrate their 25th year. In 1999 they donned 40th season emblems. They’ve honored Tom Landry with a fedora patch. They broke out a one-time stadium patch to inaugurate Jerry Wayne’s new monster in Arlington for that initial home game this year. They wear sponsor patches on their practice jerseys like some kind of little league rec team. Where’s the 50th season patch?

Eight other NFL franchises are recognizing their 50th seasons this year with a commemorative patch on their game uniforms: Bills, Broncos, Chiefs, Jets, Raiders, Chargers, and Oilers/Titans. I understand those are all old original AFL teams. And their patches all feature the old AFL logo. I just don’t understand a guy like Jerry Wayne who will do anything and everything to market his brand (see 3D disaster last Sunday) not designing a patch for the 50th.

Unless it has something to do with Cowboys history. Pre-Jerry Wayne history. And his reluctance to honor it. Or his desire to break from it. See, that can’t be right, either. I know it can’t. Surely the owner/GM understands it’s that very history of Murchison, Schramm, and Landry that makes his franchise as valuable as it is. Without Lilly and Meredith and Staubach and Dorsett, Jerry doesn’t even bother buying the Cowboys. He’s acknowledged that before.

But he builds this new stadium and he puts the 14 Ring of Honor names from the Schramm/Landry years on one side of the stadium and the three names from the current Jerry Wayne era on the other. Separate and apart. No Super Bowl banners have been hung in that new place yet. Where’s Emmitt’s all-time rushing champion banner?

Whoa. Sorry. I’m sidetracking, big time. I need to stop or I’ll be writing all day about the video board, the play clocks, the score board, the 3D, the roof, the kicker, the GM, and everything else that’s wrong. Back to the original question. Please, somebody help me out on this. What do we know about the 50th season patch?

Peace,

Allan

Category: 1 Corinthians (Page 18 of 21)

By All Possible Means

We Put Up With Anything…

Love Builds Up

I Think We're Ignorant

Let Us Astound Them

Common to Man

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