Category: Ministry (Page 12 of 35)

Wake Up!

October 29, 2015 / Allan / 0 Comments

There’s a scene in the first Vacation movie (the original 1983 version with Chevy Chase, Beverly D’ Angelo, Randy Quaid, and John Candy) to which everybody with a drivers license can relate. The Griswolds are driving in the Family Truckster from Chicago to California to visit Wally World. They’re driving super late at night. It’s dark. Super quiet in the car. The moving shadows caused by the street lights and the glow from the dash board is about it. All you can hear is the Fleetwoods’ “Mr. Blue” on the car radio. The camera shows the kids in the back seat, sound asleep. Rusty: sound asleep. Audrey: sound asleep. Aunt Edna: sound asleep. Ellen in the passenger seat: sound asleep. The camera moves to the driver’s seat where we see Clark Griswold behind the wheel: sound asleep!

As God’s children and recipients of his eternal salvation, we have a divine purpose. We play a critical part in all of God’s new creation plans. We are his vital agents. But I think, sometimes, a lot of us are missing it. Some of us are dozing right through it. Sleeping. Maybe you’re in a full-on coma.

And we need a wake-up call.

“Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you!”
~Ephesians 4:14

Paul says it’s time to wake up. Living at the level of the non-heavenly world around you, living like everybody else, is like being asleep. Or, worse, it’s like what sleep is the metaphor for: death. When our daily and hourly lives do not reflect the glory of God and his eternal purposes for his world, we’re sleepwalking. We’re just going through the motions. And we’re really missing out.

Paul says it’s time to wake up. Come alive to the real world, the world where Jesus is Lord, the world to which your baptism calls you, your new creation, the world you claim to belong to when you say Jesus is Lord and that, yes, God has raised him from the dead! What we all need from time to time is a friend, or even a stranger, somebody to remind us. We all need a sermon or a verse of Scripture, something to wake us up. You’ve been asleep long enough. We need to be told the sun is shining, it’s a wonderful day out there. Wake up and get involved in it!

If God really is fixing everything that’s broken, if he really is repairing everything and making everything new, then our purpose as his children is to live like it. To really live like it. To join him, even, in repairing and restoring and renewing. That’s the goal. That’s what God is doing.

So many of us, though, see the Church as the goal instead of as the means to the goal. So many of us, when we talk about fixing and repairing and restoring and renewing, we’re talking about fixing and repairing and restoring and renewing the Church. As if that’s the mission. We get so wrapped up in what happens inside our church walls, we spend so much of our time and energy and money and passion on what happens in the church, we don’t have any time or energy or money or passion for what God is doing out in the world!

Wake up!

Now, hear me clearly: God’s Church is important. It’s vital. Christ died for his Church. The Church of God is paramount to the mission of God — as a means to that mission end, never as the end itself. The Church is not Wally World. The Church is the Family Truckster. The Church is the imperfect, beat-up, unbeautiful, sputtering, backfiring vehicle God uses to take his creation to its intended destination. And a lot of us are asleep at the wheel!

The Church is not a retreat from the world. It’s not a safe place to hide from the world. No! Shades of reason, neighbor! The Church is a vehicle into the world. But we’re not supposed to be asleep while God buckles us in and takes us to our destination. God saves us, he redeems us, and he brings us together as a church in order to work through us to save others. Our purpose as a church is to live and give and sacrifice and serve for the sake of others.

“Be very careful how you live — not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.” ~Ephesians 4:15-16.

Peace,

Allan

What Are You Afraid Of?

October 12, 2015 / Allan / 0 Comments

The third servant in Jesus’ story in Matthew 25 buried his master’s talent in the ground because he was afraid. He was afraid if he didn’t perform well, he would be punished. He was afraid of displeasing his master, of making his master angry. He believed it was better to play it safe, better to minimize the potential risk, better to avoid embarrassment or loss, by just sitting on the talent and returning it to the master unharmed. That third servant was afraid.

What are you afraid of?

We are God’s children, remember? We are disciples of the Christ, right? We’re not merely talking about faith or teaching religious principles or believing theological ideas or keeping biblical rules. We are living our lives — our whole entire lives! — with God in Christ.

And we can’t be scared.

God doesn’t just give us talents. He gives us life. And the life given to us by God is not to be lived in some kind of rigid, cramped, crowded, small, compromised, legalistic way. We are empowered by God’s Spirit to live life in a full, wild, joyful, exuberant, cheerful, celebratory way. We courageously live in ways that apprehend and assimilate the freedoms we have in our Lord. Those holy freedoms radiate out of our bold actions, Christ’s commission pulsates through our radical works. It’s brakes-off, no-looking-back, full-steam-ahead salvation activity that blesses others with God’s mercy and grace.

What are you afraid of?

Are you scared that, while showing radical mercy and grace, you might mess something up? While forgiving and healing, blessing and helping others, you might make God mad? Are there rules you’re afraid you might break if you try to advance the Kingdom? Are there people you’re scared you might upset if you think outside the box?

The way I see it, a full grasp of the life we have in Christ and the grace and mercy we receive from our Father means we’re no longer afraid of messing up. We don’t hold back because of an anxiety over doing something that might displease God. At the very least, avoiding sin should not be the main thing that drives us as we partner with God in his salvation mission for the world.

Our God wants his beloved children to operate out of joy and freedom and faith to do what is good and right, not out of fear of making a mistake. Isn’t that the whole point of the story in Matthew 25? If we faithfully pursue his mission and maybe — maybe! — mess something up, he’s not going to punish us. He’s going to use it for his purposes and to his eternal glory and praise.

So, don’t just sit there on your talent. Go do something. Do something bold and outrageous, something you’ve never tried before, something for the sake of somebody else in the name and manner of our Lord. Trust God to make it work, even if you don’t see the results immediately. Have faith that God isn’t concerned about the results — that’s his job, by the way, not yours — as much as he is about your eagerness to enter his mission.

And don’t be scared. We know the Master.

Peace,

Allan

Salvation Work

October 8, 2015 / Allan / 0 Comments

I’m not really feeling like myself today. I think I’m just going to work through lunch, or as long as I’m able, and then cut out of here at about 2:30pm.

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Our Lord Jesus goes out of his way in the Gospels to take care of the poor and the sick, the lonely and the depressed. He reaches out to feed the hungry and homeless, to restore dignity to aliens and slaves. He talks to the abused and marginalized and downtrodden. He heals the blind and lame and deaf. And none of this is extra. This is not add-on work to his task of bringing salvation from God to the ends of the earth.

This is his salvation work.

The people saw Jesus saving people from hunger and sickness and they hear him preaching about ultimate salvation in the future with God, but nobody thought the two things were unrelated. Jesus’ defense of tax collectors and sinners was not just a visual aid that pointed to someday in eternity. His healings were not just clever stunts to get more publicity for his message about salvation. What Jesus was doing up close in the present was exactly what God was promising long-term in the future. Same thing.

Jairus begs Jesus (Mark 5:21-43), “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be saved and live.” Your translation may say “healed.” The Greek word there is so-they: saved. As Jesus is on his way to do just that, a woman with a bleeding issue says, “If I just touch his clothes I will be saved (so-they).” She reaches out to Jesus and he says, “Daughter, your faith has saved (so-they) you. Go in peace.” The way Matthew tells this story, the woman was saved from that moment on. And there are dozens of these all throughout the Gospels. You see the same kind of stuff in Acts with the early church. Salvation and healing, healing and salvation. Being made whole and salvation. Being made right and salvation. Synonymous. Interchangeable. Same thing.

The future rescue that God has promised, the ultimate perfection has started to come true in the present. With the coming of Jesus, the new creation has begun. It’s happening right now all around us. And we’re called to get in on it.

What you do right now matters. What you do today is critically important. Painting a house, preaching a sermon, singing at the nursing home, praying for missionaries, digging wells, attending funerals, taking a mission trip to Africa, loving your neighbor across the street. What you do today is bringing salvation to people in your immediate context and to the ends of the earth. It’s not in addition to salvation, it’s a paramount part of salvation! What you do today is a participation in God’s eternal future. The salvation you bring to someone today is promised by God to last through all eternity. We’re all working for the mission, we’re building for the Kingdom — it’s all salvation work. These are all salvation issues. And God promises to use our salvation efforts today toward his divine purposes and to his everlasting glory and praise.

Peace,

Allan

Do Something

October 7, 2015 / Allan / 0 Comments

I was reminded last night that Rangers fans should not ever taunt Yankees fans under any circumstances. Following the Astros’ complete shutdown of New York in the AL Wildcard game last night, I texted our resident Yankees fan, Tim McMenamy, a snarky question: “Are the Yankees in the playoffs?”

His reply: “Not anymore. Maybe the Rangers can get their FIRST title now.”

It occurs to me that Texas could win this year’s World Series and every World Series every year in a row from now until I’m 75 and they still won’t have as many titles as New York. Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Master, I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.” ~Matthew 25:24-25

The three servants in this familiar story are told by the Master to do something. They are not told to do something bigger than everyone else. The Master doesn’t say do something better, do something higher, do something spectacular, do something amazing, do something that will change the world. The Master just says, “Do something.”

And the third servant is paralyzed. He’s afraid. He’s afraid of messing up, afraid of losing what he had been given, afraid of getting it wrong. He was scared of making a mistake, making somebody mad, ticking off his Master. The story tells us that, yes, this third servant was punished. He lost his job, his home, his family — everything.

And it’s a great story. It really is. Millions of terrific sermons have been preached from this story. But Jesus didn’t tell it exactly right. He didn’t close up all the loopholes. His story doesn’t answer all the questions.

Don’t you wish I had written the Bible?

I wish Jesus had added one more character to this story. What if another five talent guy had tried really hard? He had given it all he had, he had worked really hard, he had worked his rear end off, but he wound up losing all five talents. He didn’t bury it, he didn’t sit on it. He worked really hard. He tried. But he lost it. The servant’s plans didn’t pan out.

Would the Master have punished him or rewarded him?

Two of the servants get busy immediately, working hard for their Master. One servant decides to do nothing because he’s afraid. Where is that fourth servant?

Could it be that working for the mission of God and nothing happening doesn’t exist? Could it be that giving your time and energy and money and effort toward God’s mission and then losing everything is an impossibility? That’s why the scenario isn’t in the story. Because it’s not possible. The concept, the very idea, of giving something to God and nothing happening is impossible. Our God says do something. And then he promises that whatever we do, if it’s to his glory and toward his salvation purposes, if it’s offered in faith and trust in the name and manner of Jesus, he will use it. He will multiply it. He will enhance it and perfect it and it will bring an eternal Kingdom return!

The third servant who just sat on his gift did not know his Master.

You’re hard. You’re unfair. You’re mean. You take what’s not yours. You’re a big bully. I was afraid.

He didn’t know his Master. But we do. We know our Master is gracious and kind. He is loving and merciful. We know he died for us. He died. For us. He had proven he will always have our best interests at heart and that there’s nothing he won’t do to save us and live with us forever. Nothing. He loves you. He died for you. That’s our Master.

So we act in faith that our God who calls us to work boldly and courageously for him also promises that if and when we mess up in enthusiastic service to our King, we will find grace and mercy, forgiveness and salvation.

The Christian life is a working life. Our God calls us to give ourselves to him and to his work. Brakes off, no looking back, full steam ahead. He’s not going to punish us when we faithfully pursue his purpose and maybe mess something up. Actually, God really enjoys doing super cool things with our mess-ups.

Peace,

Allan

Act Five – Church: The Proclaimed Kingdom

September 24, 2015 / Allan / 2 Comments

The Texas Rangers’ magic number for clinching their sixth division title is “8.” After last night’s clubbing of the A’s, Texas has its largest division lead in more than two years at 3-1/2 games. Texas has won Cole Hamels’ last seven starts, and he’s pitching the getaway game today in Oakland. And then they fly to Houston for this critical three game weekend set with the Astros. As good as Texas has played in September (14-7) and as badly as Houston has played this month (7-14) it’s still going to come down to this weekend series. Going to Houston with the division lead sure helps. Taking two of three from the ‘Stros would just about clinch it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Act Five of the Story of God is where all of us are suddenly pushed out onto the stage. The lights come up, the curtain opens, and we’re on the stage with lines to say and parts to play. We’ve been given a role in the Story of God, an important role. This is not just a cameo appearance.

On that first Sunday morning, the women arrive at the tomb to find the stone has been moved and their rabbi Jesus is not there. And the angel says:

“Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'” ~Mark 16:6-7

In other words, look, everything Jesus told you about the coming of the Kingdom of God — in his work, his teachings, his life and death — has all come true! The Resurrection is not just a miracle to show us how powerful God is. It’s not just a way of showing us there is life after death. The Resurrection of Jesus is the decisive event that proves God’s Kingdom has been launched on earth. The Resurrection completes the inauguration of God’s Kingdom. It’s not, “Hey, Jesus is risen, it looks like we all get to go to heaven when we die.” It’s more like, “Hey, Jesus is risen, you’d better get to Galilee and check in; see what he wants you to do.”

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.'” ~Matthew 28:6-7

When Jesus ran into these women at the tomb, he tells them the same thing:

“Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” ~Matthew 28:10

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go… Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” ~Matthew 28:16-20

Jesus is claiming all authority in the universe now belongs to him. And by that authority he commands his disciples to go now and make it happen. Go do the Kingdom work as agents of my authority. Jesus is now enthroned as Lord of heaven and earth. His Kingdom has been established. And now his Kingdom rule is to be proclaimed. Jesus’ ambassadors are told to declare the Good News to all the nations and to call all the territories to allegiance to their new Lord.

“This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms… The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things!” ~Luke 24:44-49

The Resurrection is not a happy ending for the Son of God. Jesus says the Resurrection is the turning point for a brand new beginning. Because of the Resurrection, all the old promises are coming true: the promise of an unshakable kingdom, the promise of God’s holy presence, forgiveness and a restored relationship with the Creator, blessings from God through Abraham’s line for all the peoples of the world.

There’s a new order. New rules. New law. Everything’s brand new for all the nations. The enemy has been destroyed. Peace between God and all people has been established. The good and just reign of the true King of the world has begun. Jesus is Lord over all the earth today, tomorrow, and for ever more! True peace. Genuine security. And Jesus, the King, says to his disciples, “You go tell everybody the Good News!”

In the mid 30s AD, this is what a King does when he becomes the ruler over a new region.

In Matthew, the first words spoken by Jesus following his Resurrection are, “Greetings. Do not be afraid. Go and tell.” Later, that same evening: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” In Mark, the first recorded words of the risen Jesus are, “Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to all of creation.” In Luke, Jesus says, “The Good News is going to be proclaimed to all nations.” Same thing in John when, on Resurrection day, the King’s first words to his disciples are, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Jesus is Lord. Jesus is now the undisputed King over all the earth. And his messengers, his emissaries, are to go to all the territories where Christ is enthroned as Lord to proclaim the Good News of his righteous rule.

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ~Acts 1:8

And that’s exactly what happens. And please notice — this is the main point — they don’t just offer people a new and different religious experience. They don’t just teach about eternal life after we die. They don’t just preach the Resurrection as a miracle that proves how powerful God is. The disciples are commissioned by Jesus to go and tell the world that Jesus, the Messiah, really is the world’s true Lord and to call all the nations of the earth to submit now to his rule.

Act Five. The Proclaimed Kingdom. There is where we come in. We are living today in the unfinished fifth act of the drama of the Story of God. God’s Church was established by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in order to proclaim to the world the Good News. We are telling all nations that God has come here in the flesh-and-blood of Jesus to establish his rule and to forgive and redeem and restore all the men and women of the earth. We are no longer enemies of God. It’s truly Good News! And we are called to declare it to all the earth.

Now, you are not exempt from this part of the Story. In this Act Five, you are not in the audience. You’re not backstage. You’re not a spectator or a critic. You’re not selling programs in the lobby or reading about it the next day. You are on the stage. You have lines to say. You have a role to play. To borrow from Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society, “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.”

You must contribute a verse. All of us who have been baptized into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are commissioned to jump into the Story and proclaim the Good News. In Act Five, following the Resurrection of Jesus all the way through the rest of the New Testament, all the characters in the Story are proclaiming. Church leaders, church members, all Christ followers do the work of evangelism. It’s the number one priority for all disciples. No exceptions. Everything takes a back seat to the proclamation of the Good News. Everything serves the purpose of proclaiming the rule of Christ and the Kingdom of God. That is our role today in Act Five.

What will your verse be?

Peace,

Allan

Partnership

September 11, 2015 / Allan / 0 Comments

“All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” ~Genesis 12:3

God calls his people and saves them and changes them in order to bless the whole world. He pulls them out of Egypt, he rescues them from slavery, and he gathers them to his presence on the mountain to commission them for his work on behalf of all the earth.

“You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” ~Exodus 19:4-6

Israel belongs to God. And, yes, they are called out to be separate from the world. But they are not separate in that they live in isolation from the other nations. As holy and priestly, Israel’s purpose is to save and bless the entire world in a partnership with God. The covenant is international in scope. It’s global. Israel is saved, not just for Israel’s sake, but so God can work through them to save all of humanity.

When God’s people break the covenant, when they live their lives in ways that are not holy, yes, it has serious implications for their relationship with God. But, much bigger than that, it thwarts the salvation plans of heaven for everybody else. In the exile, when Israel felt the full weight of the consequences of her disobedience, the focus in Scripture is on how it’s impacting the salvation of the rest of the world.

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” ~Isaiah 49:6

Even in the darkest period of Israel’s history, when her own release from captivity was the most pressing concern, God reminds his people of the bigger picture. He reminds them that it’s not just about them. Why are they going to be released? Why are they going to be saved? For the sake of others, not themselves. To use God’s blessings to bring salvation to the rest of the world.

We are covenant partners with the God of Heaven and Earth.

Somehow, though, we have encouraged the question, “What can God do for me?” or “What can the Church do for me?” Somehow, we’ve nurtured a culture that’s concerned with, “What can I get out of believing in God? or “What can I get out of going to Church?” Somehow, we’ve fostered an attitude that being a Christian means not much more than going to church to ask God for what we need and to thank him for what he’s given us. And that’s all. No wonder strong, smart, healthy people are completely bored out of their minds with church! And Christianity!

We are not just creatures of God. We are creatures uniquely made in God’s image, equipped by God and empowered by God as God’s partners in and for the world. We are partners whom God has invited and commanded to join his business of preserving and caring for the world. Of doing justice and showing compassion in human society. Sharing the suffering of those who suffer and freeing those who are enslaved by their own sins and oppressed by the sins of others.

Being in covenant with God is not a passive thing. It’s not just hanging around the church building waiting for Jesus to come back. It’s not like just sitting in the dark, eating your popcorn and talking to your friend, while you wait for the movie to start. We’re in the movie! We’re in the play! By virtue of the covenant, we’ve all been given and have all accepted the holy responsibility to advance the salvation cause of our God.

Peace,

Allan

Category: Ministry (Page 12 of 35)

Wake Up!

What Are You Afraid Of?

Salvation Work

Do Something

Act Five – Church: The Proclaimed Kingdom

Partnership

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