Monday Morning Rewind: Gifting & Re-gifting

The second phrase in John 3:16 reads “that He gave His One and Only Son…”  John has already reminded us that as the Father has (1) taken the initiative and (2) made us the objects of His affection, He has (3) loved us in a decisive, determined but most of all, a demonstrated way: He gave His Son.

This Son–Jesus–is the focal part of the passage in this second clause.  He is described as “His One and Only” in the New International Version.  Other translations call Him “His only Begotten (KJV)” or “His Only (NLT and ESV)”  The original language emphasizes the unique genetics of Jesus…I’d say “His One of a Kind Son” myself.  The point is His DNA is different than any other; it’s only shared with God.

It is His work as well as His person that is important.  In a companion passage in 1 John 4:9-10 (where “His One and Only” is used again) we are told that Jesus was “sent by God as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (NIV).  Some choose to translate the atoning sacrifice motif as “propitiation” (KJV, HCSB) or “expiation” (RSV) or “way to take away our sins” (NCV).  The idea is that the justice of God has been satisfied by what Christ has done on the cross FOR us.  That word “for” is huge, since it reminds us that Jesus has taken our place in paying the price for our sins.  It is substitutionary.

This gift of Jesus (remember God “gave” Him to us, the world) is intrinsically valuable, no matter what we do with it, but it does not become experientially valuable to us UNTIL we “unwrap” the gift, found in relationship with Jesus, and begin to “use” it as was intended.  Unfortunately, many believers fail to put this gift of relationship with the living Lord to use; instead, they put it on the shelf or hide it in a closet and do not allow it to grow richer and deeper over time.  On the other hand, unbelievers who refuse to receive or open the gift will choose to ignore it or attempt to re-gift it for anyone else but them.  In so doing, they fail to recognize that this gift–the gift of Jesus–is the greatest gift they can ever receive.

Sunday Starter #2

Tomorrow we continue our look at John, chapter three, and specifically verse 16. The emphasis in this part of the verse is on the action of God for us (on our behalf). We are told, “God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son…” This “giving” activity is a part of the nature of God.

All of us have benefited from the giving nature of others, but here’s my question: When is a “gift” of value?

• When it’s given?
• When it’s received?
• When it’s used?

What if the gift is rejected? or “re-gifted?” Does it really make a difference? What do you think?

Give some thought to it, and we’ll pick up this conversation tomorrow…

Fridays are for Friends and Family #2

Well, it’s that time again…Friday, which means this blog will highlight some things are are happening elsewhere on the Web.  Some of these items are important and impacting; some lighter and hopefully will bring a smile or a laugh to you!  A reminder, though:  just because they’re posted here does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything you see or hear or these sites.

Today is supposed to be the first national Presidential Debate in Oxford, Mississippi.  (Whether or not it will happen is still up in the air at the time of this posting.)  In light of that, here’s an interview that Leadership Journal did with Mark Batterson, planter/pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D. C., about their ministry and role during this political year.

David Phillips, a friend, colleague and pastor in Middletown, Delaware, has one of the most comprehensive websites/blogs online.  Here’s what David recently wrote about the coming church transition.  It’s a must-read for anyone who is forging the future of the church and its impact (or lack thereof) on the world around us.

My wife is excited about the release of the movie, Fireproof. This movie, with a strong message about marriage, hits theaters across America today.

On a lighter note, Ed Stetzer of Lifeway Christian Resources recently posted a Sunday School enlistment video, in the vein of a recent insurance company’s commercials.  Check it out!

Finally, I am excited to announce that The Food Network has revised and updated their entire website!  Check it out here, and find abundant recipes from all your favorite chefs.  Bobby Flay, watch out; I may just have to challenge you to “a throwdown.”

Until next time…

If I Were to Pastor Again…

I’m serving as the interim pastor at another great church right now.  Calvary Baptist Church in Bel Air, Maryland, is a dynamic, Bible-believing, missions-focused church that is looking forward to the next chapter in its history.  Like so many other great churches I’ve had the opportunity to serve, they have stayed focused on the Great Commandment and the Great Commission during this time.  They have a great staff (kudos to Bob, Wally and Jon, along with “assists” from Jean and Patti), and it’s evident that their former pastor, Dr. Allen Carter, did a great job of preparing them for this transition.  When he retired after a twenty-year tenure as pastor, the church hardly missed a beat.  I still marvel about that when I think of it.

For me, serving in a local church is critical, for a number of reasons.  First, my foundational calling is to preach, and without that opportunity I feel like I’m disobeying God and His calling on my life.  Second, as a leader I need to be surrounded by a community of faith in an on-going way.  Third, I need to engage the lost and disciple new believers regularly.  Fourth, I need to be reminded constantly of what the issues are at a local church level–what they face, what they need and how they’re responding to the challenges of an ever-changing world around them.

Occasionally, I wonder if I will ever pastor again.  Most days the answer is a resounding “no,” for I know God has called me to serve where I am, and for that I am not only grateful but also joyful since I love what I do.  However, there are those days–I suppose we all have them–when you pause and wonder.  And while I deeply love the church at Calvary and the other churches I’ve served before, there are several non-negotiables I believe would be necessary for me to pastor.

If I were to pastor again…

• church planting would be a regular, on-going part of the DNA and mission heart of the congregation where I served;
• the church would be more interested in what it did away from the building than at the building;
• budget and calendar would reflect as much effort in reaching the lost as it does in caring for the saved;
• both my wife and I would minister out of our gifting and passions and not out of required expectations of church members or what past ministry couples did;
• I would begin preparing people for my future departure from the first day I was on the field;
• the pastor’s role would be considered that of a leader/strategist and not that of a manager/chaplain;
• the church would be interested in transforming the community and world, not just in growing a bigger church;
• everyone would do their part in ministry, and not simply depend on the pastor to do it all;
• the people would worry more about what the Bible says and the needs of people than Robert’s Rules of Order and church traditions; and,
• the church would measure its success in terms of how many it sent out to serve rather than gathered together to hear.

Well, that’s a lot, I know, and such churches are rare to be sure.  But I suspect that I’m not the only minister who dreams of a church who thinks AND lives “outside the box” of conventional religious forms.  While part of this is no doubt self-awareness on my part, I truly believe another part of it is the passionate value of missional practice that is found deep within the soul of many, many ministers today.  I see it in our church planters; I hear it from other pastors who dream of a day when the church in America reclaims its mandate, not to build bigger buildings or gather larger crowds.  Instead, they long for a day when the church is the center of transforming community, family and personal life once again, passionate about their Savior and burdened by the lost.

Monday Morning Rewind: U Matter 2 God

Yesterday in worship we looked at the first phrase of John 3.16, “For God so loved the world…” As we did, we discovered several important truths.

First, God is the subject of the action in this cosmic reality; He is pursuing us. He wants a relationship with each one of us.  How we view God, though, affects our response to Him.  J. B. Phillips fifty years ago wrote a book entitled Your God is Too Small, in which he challenges the common assumptions we hold about God and how it affects our perception of Him and His work in our life.  Phillips lists twelve plus inadequate views of God, including Grand Old Man (cosmic Santa Claus, grandfatherly-type), Parental Hangover (your own parents’ roles affects how you view Him), and Resident Policeman (the whistle-blower who is looking for the times you mess up). But none are adequate to convey the Biblical view of God.  Just in this verse alone we learn that God is a loving God, a giving God and a redeeming God!

Second, the other side of this equation is a world, desperately in need of rescue. This world, made up of six billion plus inhabitants, has continually tried to “fix itself.”  It’s tried peace (and war), prosperity (and service/sharing, to some degree), education (and invention), technology (and simplicity), etc.  Nothing has solved the human dilemma; in fact, you could argue that the world, in spite of all these things, is in worse shape today than two thousand years ago.  The world needs a savior…humans have tried to be “it” and others have created “gods” they believe can do it, but none have been able to accomplish what’s needed.  But a God who wants a relationship with you can’t sit idly by; he sees our need and intervenes on our behalf.

Third, this decision to seek relationship with us, to show us we matter to Him, is a result of His love. God’s love is different from what the world knows.  It is more a decision than affection; more volition than emotion.  It is determined, sacrificial and selfless; it is costly and precious.  The key word here is “so.”  This word–so often mistranslated in English as “so much”–is better translated “in such a way,” and in fact, is the emphasized word in the verse.  The point is that God’s love is demonstrated; it is shown through the giving of Jesus Christ. This same love that takes action on our behalf is foundational to the relationship God wants to have with each one of us. That’s how God loves us, and a clear and present reminder of how much we matter to God.

Sunday Starter

Tomorrow I continue my series of messages in John 3 at the church where I’m currently serving. We’ll be focusing our attention of God…His nature specifically, which brings me to the point of this post.

Recently we had a friend come to our office to meet with the staff and he asked us to do a simple exercise. He had us write down the top three characteristics of God for each one of us personally. So, I ask you the same thing: When you think of God, what are the top three things about Him that have captured your heart?

Have you got them? What did you list? Our list grew long and deep as everyone shared, which helped me realize that there are many, many different and very personal perspectives on the most important characteristics of God to an individual’s life. They are “owned” experientially.

My friend Kevin pointed out that these three or so characteristics of which we are most conscious and aware actually drive our understanding of God, how we relate to Him and even how we behave.

What do you think?

More tomorrow at Calvary and on this blog, come Monday…

Friday is for Friends and Family

Today is Friday, so as has become the custom elsewhere in the blogosphere, I will be using it to highlight some friends  and colleagues I “hang out” with on the web too, along with a potential item or two regarding family.  A reminder: while these things are posted here, their presence does not represent an endorsement or agreement with all you may find on their sights.

In regards to my last post on “iChurch” and the mention of several books dealing with the need for “real” Christians vs. “religious” Christians, here’s Scot McKnight’s review of Rob Bell’s latest book, which carries a similar title, Jesus Wants to Save Christians…

Jack Allen, professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, has just come through the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.  As a result, in reflection he has written about “3 Lessons When Facing Doom” here…

My friend, Bob Roberts, Jr., reminds us all, though, that’s it’s not about books, conferences or classes…it’s about Jesus.

On a lighter note, Adam Feldman, church planter here in Maryland is an avid Alabama Crimson Tide fan, as am I.  Here’s his posted predictions for the upcoming season.  So far, he’s 3-0…

Dan Kimball is the “master of the rockabilly hairdo.”  How does he do it?  Here’s the latest on his hair dilemma from Dan.

And finally, my “at home” kids have been captured by the nonsensical hillarity of this YouTube video.  You’ll get the impact even though the words are in German…Can you believe there have been over 2.0 million viewings of this?!

iPods, iTunes, iPhones…iChurch?

The Apple phenomenon continues to sweep the planet with some of the most innovative, eye-popping technological creations yet. That’s to say nothing of the coolest commercials on television (check out my one of my favorites here.). Every month it seems CEO Steve Jobs is announcing something new, or at least an upgrade, from headquarters. Every week I am exposed to a new creative way to hear the story of Apple products and the impact they could have on my life. Every day I see friends and colleagues on Facebook that are downloading applications for use on their newest Apple technology.

And it’s not going away. The amazing success of iPods, iTunes and iPhones will only breed more innovation, from Apple and clones alike. But with innovation comes impact…changes in the way we live our lives. How many of us can’t live a day now without our iPods or iPhones?! It’s changed our habits and modified our behavior in everyday experience.

Juxtapose that phenomenon with the decreasing lack of impact of “church” in its various forms on the life of people in general, but “Apple types” (young, cool, innovative, post-modern, artistic, technies, etc.) in particular. Many publications are now suggesting that, while people are not “checking out” on Jesus, they are eliminating the church as we know it from their lives. Books like unChristian, They Like Jesus but Not the Church, Lord, Save Us from Your Followers, I’m Fine with God…It’s Christians I Can’t Stand, all send a message loud and clear that we inside that church “just don’t get it.”

So I’m wondering: could we be far from iChurch? I suspect a self-expressing spirituality (the emphasis is on the “i”) has so engulfed many who are turned off by the established church that they prefer to worship, learn, serve, etc., on their own, or with “tribes” of friends and colleagues that change from experience to experience. It’s isn’t that these individuals are rejecting spirituality or even Jesus; it’s the conventional, “religious” church that gives them pause. And the anticipation is that in the future it’s only going to be more and more this way.

This past Monday I attended a conference where the speaker quoted a writer from the previous generation (who was way ahead of his time) in asking us,

“Can Our Kind of Church Save Our Kind of World?”

If not, what are we going to do about it?

We better decide soon…every day many others “check out” on the church and are finding their own iChurch experience. So let me ask you more bluntly (as I paraphrase one of our seminary presidents with this question):

Is your church the answer to a question that anyone is asking?

Monday Morning Rewind: Nic at Nite

Today I start a new regular weekly entry in my blog.  Each week on Monday, Lord willing, I will reflect back on my message from Sunday. So for some of you who may be new to this blog, because of this or in spite of it, I hope you’ll hear my heart and how in my mind these passages from the Word of God intersect my life and ministry.  Some weeks the weekly post may look more like a sermon outline.  Other weeks I may add things I didn’t have the opportunity (or missed in my notes!) to say on Sunday.  Some weeks it may simply be a personal devotional application from my own life.  But always on Monday, it will look back to what was shared on Sunday.

Nicodemus was about as religious as you can get (John 3.1-12).  He was a Pharisee (very conservative theologically), a leader among his peers (member of the Sanhedrin) and Jesus calls him “THE” teacher of Israel, so he had great knowledge and influence.  But Jesus isn’t impressed with his religion.  He tells him he needs to be born again from above.

This overwhelms and confuses Nic because it’s outside his framework for understanding reality.  Nic thinks “religion;” Jesus talks “new birth.”  He goes on to explain:

• Religion is about rules and regulations; the new birth is about relationship.
• Religion starts with me trying to get to God; the new birth starts with the Spirit giving life to me.
• Religion is built from good works; the new birth is built from the Kingdom of God.
• Religion is all about information; the new birth is all about transformation.
• Religion seeks to better self; the new birth resurrects a new self.
• Religion is convenient and boundaries are obvious; the new birth is messy and the process requires dependence on God.
• Religion compartmentalizes the life of faith; the new birth integrates the life of faith in everything one does.
• Religion is impersonal and external to the heart; the new birth is personal and intimate for every person.

The world around us sees Christianity as a world religion; their paradigm for the church requires it.  As such they call us “hypocrites,” “judgmental,” and “arrogant.”  The sad fact of the matter is many church goers see Christianity as a religion too!  These church goers live and act like church is a club for the exclusive, a lobby group for political action, or a sanctuary to “hide away from the rest of the world.”

But religion can’t fix anything; that’s the point of what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus that night long ago.  It takes a new birth from above…it takes a relationship with our living Lord.

Way too many of the churches I’ve seen have subtly shifted from the emphasis on relationship with Christ to the religion of Christendom.  But Jesus never came to found a new religion; he came to seek and to save ones, to invite them into a relationship with the living God.  Let’s make sure our lives and the churches we serve keep the emphasis where it has to be…on new life in Jesus Christ.

We Must Never Forget

I suppose everyone today is thinking, more or less, about the events of 9/11 in 2001.  My family and I were on vacation when the events occurred.  What happened that day unfolded on television right before our eyes and as it did, it changed our world forever.

Not only did I have the naive, insulated view that our country was safe from such behavior, I had a hard time believing that there could be ones who hated America so much that they would inflict such pain and heartache on so many to make their point. Real evil exists in our world and we saw it that day–pure, unadulterated evil, seeking to cast fear into every heart that loves life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  It was a darkness we must never forget.

In the days that followed, the government responded quickly to what had happened.  And whether you agree with what President Bush and the Congress have done since then or not, it is a fact that our nation has not seen another act or terrorism like that day since.  For that, I hope and pray that we are all grateful.

The church responded too.  It opened its doors, it comforted the hurting, it attempted to explain, hopefully from the Scriptures, the nature of evil and the triumph of good.  It sought to point people back to God and to a personal faith in Jesus Christ.  In the immediate days after, it was somewhat successful.  Since then, its impact on the lives of most Americans has consistently decreased.

Our world was filled with heroes on that day, some who lived and many who died.  Some gave their lives unwillingly; they were taken from them.  Others offered them freely, because there were beliefs and truths that meant more to them than life itself–things like freedom, country, family, service and compassion for the hurting.  They were thinking beyond themselves, to a world they believe can exist: a world that values others above self, where right does not retreat from wrong, and where what we leave behind is far greater than the cost it may bring us.

Today we honor them and we pray for their families and for our nation.  We ask God once again to “shed His grace on thee,” America.  And we are mindful, as Jeremiah was many years ago in the midst of a time of barren, heart-wrenching destruction in his own land, of the faithfulness of a God who loves us and sent His Son to die in our place,

“I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.  Yet I will dare to hope when I remember this: The unfailing love of the LORD never ends!  By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction.  Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each day.  I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!’” Lamentations 3:20-24 (NLT)

We must never forget.