May Gray – Part 2

1 Peter 2:11-12 “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

Pastor Kyle continues, explaining that our conduct is what makes up our character. Our character should over-whelmingly testify that we love Jesus Christ. Our witness is our greatest evangelistic tool and our character is what makes up our witness. We will not be perfect on this side of glory. In fact, Christianity is always going to have a bad reputation because we are all sinners. The difference between Christians and someone who doesn’t know the Lord is that the Christians knows that they are forgiven from their past sins and they are straight-forward about their sins in the present and they are committing them.

So when, not if, we as Christian fall, we should be the first people to say: “You are right. What I did was wrong. I repent and seek God for forgiveness and I am dealing with the consequences of it.” A Christian doesn’t need a perfect witness; what we need is an honest witness. The world appreciates an admission of failure and it actually adds credence to our witness, not less. Why is that? Because the natural thing to do is to cover up their sins. We should put them out in the open, let God heal them and let that situation speak to others who are dealing with it also.

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Before the Lord ascended to Heaven, He left us with one great commission and goal, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Christians are called to take those disciples and teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded. Let us never forget this aspect of why we are here. In the midst of this pandemic, how we move forward in this situation of grayness around us, let’s keep this Great Commission the reason that is front and center in our minds. We are here to make disciples, and our individual witness determines how the people within our sphere of influence think and feel about our Savior and Lord Jesus. We are so inundated with messaging in this era, everyone has a platform to speak on whatever it is that they want to talk about.  

The Apostle Peter is saying that before we think about social issues, be careful how you act before the unbelieving world. Our witness for Jesus is at stake. If I could get only one message out of the world, it would be “Jesus loves me. I love Jesus. And I love you”. That may be all we get to say to someone and it is the one thing we want to say. One of the primary ways that people are reached for Jesus is through a Christian’s individual gospel witness to them. This means that our obedience in the small things really matters. This means that our honesty, integrity, ethics, industry and manners are important. Faithfulness, goodness, righteousness, virtuousness, kindness, decency, loyalty, fidelity, dedication, devotion, dependency, reliability, and authenticity are seen by a watching, unbelieving world that is asking what does a true Christian look like. It means how we handle every individual decision involving our character is not just important between us and God; it is important between us and the world.

1 Peter 2:13-17 “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”

A Christian’s overall posture towards authority and government should be one of submission, respect and honor. One of the most critical parts of every Christian’s witness is how they respond to authority and the government. It’s not for the government’s sake that we should act and respond in submission; it’s for the Lord’s sake. God will punish those who do wrong in positions of authority. We are asked to submit to authority and act respectfully towards them for the Lord’s sake.

In Christ, Brian

May Gray - Part 1

1 Peter 2:11-17 “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men — as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”

Last Sunday, Pastor Kyle continued in our church’s sermon series through the book of 1 Peter. He made an observation that the older we get, the longer we are alive and the longer we are a Christian, the grayer we see in the world we live in. When we were younger, things seemed so much more black and white then they do today. The Bible is clear on moral issues, but we are talking about social issues that we deal with daily now. Today, our gray issue is a global pandemic and we are living through a new set of circumstances that none of us have ever experienced before. Two factors contribute to the grayness. First, this pandemic has devastated human lives, reeked financial havoc on economics and actively causing a mental and emotional strain on everyone. The second aspect of this is that it landed in a presidential election year in the United States of America. So, things would be contentious enough without an epidemic. So, instead of being a nation together to over a crisis, coronavirus has just become another issue that creates social division.

We see good Christians differ vastly about how governments and politicians should be handling this current situation. We all want to move forward, but have different opinions on how to do that. We shouldn’t mind if someone sincerely believes something and wants to share about it with their friends and family. That is what makes America a country of freedom and liberty. We are encouraged by our Constitution and our democratic republic process to vote our consciences and social descent when we disagree. That is a freedom that we should never take for granted. The issue is when we over simplify the situation at hand and, especially, when we demonize one another in the process.

There is a way to express one’s views about situations without disparaging each other. All people do not have to think the same way because people are diverse here as in any population in the world. There are situations where individuals come to incredibly different conclusions, often citing the same sources and facts to their destination. There are a few questions for us to handle today. (1) How are we to handle it when Christians, who are going to spend eternity in Heaven together, disagree with each other here? (2) How are Christians to respond to government and political leaders when we disagree with what they are telling us to do? (3) When do we let issues go and when do we fight? What is worth fighting for?

1 Peter 2:11-12 “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

The Apostle Peter says two important facts that every Christian needs to remember. (1) He reminds us that we are sojourners and exiles on planet Earth. We long for permanence on this side of Heaven, be we are only here for a little while and just passing through. This is not our home and we don’t belong here because our citizenship in in the kingdom of Heaven and we are ambassadors here for Christ. Even though we don’t belong here, we are here for a reason and that reason is to lead those who do not know the Lord in the gates of Heaven through faith in Jesus Christ. (2) The Apostle reminds us that every Christian is witness to Jesus. A Christian witness is a Christian’s most powerful evangelistic tool to reach this lost and dying world and advance the kingdom of God. So, always keep in mind that our witness is our testimony.

Another way to put it is that our witness is the evidence that we are in fact Christians. In a court of law, a witness is someone that testifies to the truth. A credible witness is a powerful thing. A key aspect of every Christian’s individual witness is that our conduct among the world is honorable. Who was Peter referring to? He isn’t referring to Believers, but to the pagan, unbelieving world. What he was getting at was that the way we treat those who do not share our faith will have a direct effect on what those people wind up thinking about our faith.

Let’s continue Pastor Kyle’s message on “gray areas” in the next post.

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In Christ, Brian

Lord Give Us Christians – Part 2

They have a parent-wound that has never healed.  Their parents never mentored them, disciplined them, or taught him the love of God. They feel estranged from God, themselves, and other people. They’re angry but can’t quite put their finger on the cause of their anger. They never pray with their spouse and don’t feel that they can let their guard down and still be loved. They feel threatened by their questioning their love, dedication, and motives. They don’t initiate communication with their spouse, other than at an informational level. They know they don’t pray enough, read their bible enough, study enough or love enough. They think that they are the only one who struggles with their sin, guilt, and shame. They are ashamed when someone calls them a man or woman of God. They are terrified that someone will find out who they really are. They avoid situations where they might be asked to pray or quote scripture. They are afraid that someone will find out the kind of man or woman they really are.  

As an early Christian, a pastor was asked to lead a men’s group. He agreed even though he felt unworthy in the presence of the spiritual leaders of his church. This was when the Green Bay Packers were winning national championships. He remembered that at the beginning of each season their coach Vince Lombardi held up a football and said, “this is a football.” An Elder in his church said, never apologize about reminding me about the fundamentals of our faith. The average Christian is afraid to be known by other Christians. They have no time to cultivate a best friend so they are careful not to get close to others. They find their identity in their job, in their bank account, or in their independence and self-sufficiency. They are confused about their role as a children of God, a Christian spouse and a Christian parent.  

That pastor reflected about our culture and was inspired to pen this prayer about people of God: Lord Give Us Christians. Christians with stout hearts and fire in their eyes. Christians who fear nothing but you, and who owe nothing to anyone but acts of love. Lord give us Christians. Christians who are willing to live and die for you, who name the name of Christ and live for His glory. Lord give us Christians. Christians who know your voice and whose greatest delight is to do your will. Who are slow to anger, quick to listen, and eager to forgive. Lord give us Christians. Christians who love their spouses and honor you in their homes; Who are living epistles of salt and light to all they know and meet. Christians whose sacrifice, service, and love are renown and who are known to have spent time with you. Lord give us Christians! Your kind of Christians! For the world is desperate for them. Lord give us Christians. Christian men and women of faith and action, who have eternity in their hearts and only you as their focus, passion and reason for living.  Christians of whom the world is not worthy, yet are blessed to have.

Lord, these Christians are few, but they know that you use ordinary people to do extraordinary things through your power. That you use foolish men and women to shame the wise; weak men and women, who because you become strong. Christians who are known more for their availability than for their ability. Christians who choose to decrease so that you may increase. Lord to me this seems like an impossible request, but these are the kind of people you make when they give their lives in total abandonment and absolute trust to you. Lord let me be a Christian like this among Christians like this. Lord let me be that Christian.  

May this be our prayer O Lord, that we may ever live to the praise of the glory of your grace.

In Christ, Michael

Lord Give Us Christians – Part 1

This week, Michael says, most people who attend church take church casually.  Casual means occurring occasionally, superficially, without serious intent. The job of the church is to challenge men and women to be all they can be according to the power of the Holy Spirit. One of the main missions of church is to equip and inspire them to live the great commission. Most churches ask congregants to attend worship regularly, serve diligently and to give generously. Other than these three things, they don’t ask much. Casual is similar to average. Average is the norm, according to the standard of mediocrity. The church at Laodicea was average and lukewarm in awesome enthusiasm.  Lukewarm is tepid, ordinary and customary. Ordinary lacks elation and refinement.  God said, because you are lukewarm, I will vomit you out of my mouth.  

The course of this world is course, ordinary, and lacking in superior value. Unexceptional is the norm according to the world’s standard. However, extraordinary rises above the standards of the world. We’re extraordinary because of God’s remarkable and amazing grace. By His grace we’ve been separated from the dark sin of this world to the higher standard of His Word. The world calls good evil and evil good. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high. God has called men and women who know whom they have believed and are persuaded that He is able to keep that which He’s committed to them against that day of righteous judgement.

The Jewish people of Jesus’ time wanted Him to be their earthly king. However, Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world. The Pharisees asked him, “What’s your plan?”  Jesus pointed to a few lowly Galilean fishermen and a tax collector and said, those men over there, they’re the plan. He didn’t see them as they were … He saw them as they would become. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise and the base and the despised things of this world to nullify the things the things that are not, so that he who boasts should boast only in the Lord. Jesus’ message was a message of paradox. He said that to be lifted up high, you need to become lowly. To be rich you must become poor. To be filled with the Holy Spirit, you must empty yourself of self.

Many pastors today are insecure, isolated, lonely. A Korean Pastor said, you forgot to add fearful. If that’s what Christian pastors are like, then what are the church members like? What’s the profile of the average church goer? Their under challenged spiritually and have needs to consider carefully to find something to which they can dedicate their life. They seem trapped in insignificance. They struggle with guilt and shame. They don’t understand the true meaning of grace. They are cultural Christians instead of a biblical Christian. The world has indoctrinated them so that they can’t say, “I was wrong, I’m sorry, or I love you.”

Let's continue Michael's message on "being a Christian" in the next post.

In Christ, Brian