Have you ever seen things, heard things, spent time with people and been left with an overwhelming sense that this world is broken? That’s because it is.
We live in a world that was made perfect…was broken by sin…was brought life through the perfect one…is one day to be made perfect again….when the perfect one returns and makes all things new.
That’s the gospel.
Promises shattered, answers don’t come
Friends say goodbye, plans come undone
Dreams get crushed, Lies get told
Words can turn cruel, Hearts can grow cold
In a broken world where we cry to feel Some hope that helps these hearts to heal You’re my strength, You’re my refuge In a broken world, Jesus I’m holding to You
You make sense of the madness and You make darkness flee
You bring such a calm to the chaos in me
Show me life, tell me truth
Day after day I keep running to You
Long ago, we fell so far Yet You came to where we are
I’m not a frequent reader of the Message version of the Bible, but now and again I give it a read and am always struck by how it conveys truth in a powerful way that grabs the heart and the imagination. How’s this for the author’s take on Romans 8:4
The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.
How often do we mess it up, or feel that we’re not good enough, need to do better, and respond by redoubling our own efforts? That is not the gospel.
The gospel says that the answer is not in our own effort. It is simply to embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.
Theology sometimes reminds me of parts of my engineering degree. The basic aim of such disciplines seemed to be to take something amazing, wonderful, and interesting and find a way of turning into a set of dull, lifeless, rules and equations.
Take Substitionary Atonement for example.
Never was there a message which is more amazing, more life-giving, or more essential in every way. Yet so many people don’t even know what it’s all about. Even people who say they’re Christian often show no real understanding of this simple principal. This leads them to strive to perform religiously or be left with a lingering uncertainty about whether they are ‘good enough’ in God’s book.
Here’s the 1 minute guide for non-theologians:
Atonement: A penalty or punishment that needs to be paid to satisfy the demands of the law.
Substitutionary: The place was filled by somebody or something other than the original person.
What’s the Bottom Line?
All sin has a penalty/punishment, which is death. Atonement is required to pay for that sin and there is a judgement day which will come where that penalty will be demanded. I can either atone for the sin myself (bad idea), or I can allow Jesus to atone for it – choosing to receive his death at the cross as my substitionary atonement.
All of us have sinned, and continue to sin in one way or another. Some of us are spectacular sinners. Others of us are boring sinners. That’s not really a question that’s up for debate, neither it is essentially relevant.
The only real relevant question is “Who is going to be punished to atone for my sin? Me or Jesus?”
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,through faith in his blood. - Romans 3:22-25
P.S. Inspired to write this after watching a Bill Hybels’ session “The Power of Clarity”
P.P.S. I’ve nothing against Theology. We need better theology in our churches, as long as we remember that theology – the study of God – is supposed to lead us to better understanding of who God is and produce a deeper, life-giving relationship with him.
I don’t know if you’ve ever had an experience where, in one swift moment, your thinking and your assumptions are completely changed forever. That happened to me several years ago when I saw a video put together by our campus team. They were interviewing people on Imperial College Campus and simply asking them “who is Jesus”. They interviewed a student who didn’t know who Jesus was.
I don’t mean this person didn’t believe he’d really existed or they they thought he was just a good man.
This person had never heard the name Jesus.
When I was growing up most people I met knew some basics about who Jesus was but had chosen to reject him – often unfortunately because of some church experience they had which was boring, irrelevant, or hypocritical. I realized that I used to assume people knew something about Jesus and have rejected Jesus. I discovered in that moment – and in many conversations since then – that most people I meet in London are not anti-Jesus. Most people just have no clue who he is.
If Jesus is really the most important thing in the world. If he is really the only way. If I love the people around me. Then my job has to be to tell them about him.
Here’s a quick video put together by Alpha International, filmed on the streets of London.
Too many of us dream man-sized dreams. Things that could potentially be done if we really focused and put our skills to work. God doesn’t have man-sized dreams for us. He has God-sized ones. Dreams that are big and scary – terrifying even. Dreams that we can’t fulfil. Dreams that can only come to pass when it’s not just me pursuing them – but me pursuing God, in His power, along with those that I’m called to run together with.
“Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves. When our dreams have come true because we’ve dreamed too little. When we arrive safely because we’ve sailed too closely to the shore” – Jeanie Curry (Missionary)
Many people will know the story of Abram: How God came to him with a big promise of what God was going to do with him and his family, and then God asked him to leave where he was and to go to a place that God would show him. (You can check it out in Genesis 12 and see this post for more)
What’s interesting is what is written before this in Genesis 11:31
Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.
Terah, father of Abraham, sets out to the land of Canaan (which was actually promised to his great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Shem – see Gen 9:26) However, something happened along the way. They settled somewhere short of their destination.
The story doesn’t record why, or what happened. Maybe they encountered some opposition or hardship. Maybe they just lingered along the way a little bit too long and it became more comfortable to stay than to keep going. We don’t know. All we know is they set out for the land of promise but they settled on the way.
And that causes me to pause and ponder. Is there anything in me that’s settled where I am? Are there any areas of my life where I set out in pursuit of the promise, but I’ve settled along the way instead of persevering to the destination? Is there any part of me which is willing to settle for less than the fullness of God’s promise?
What about you? What will you settle for?
In Terah’s case he never makes it. He dies in that place, short of their intended destination, and God leaves him there and asks Abram to get moving instead.
The history of God’s people is full of those who set out in pursuit of God’s call but then settled on the way – requiring God to leave them there and call the next generation to follow him. My prayer today is that will never be the case for us who follow God today. I pray that we may never settle for anything short of what God has promised, but instead to press on in faith, and so receive all that he has promised.
13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:13
There aren’t many things on TV these days that I wouldn’t be bothered about missing. However, one programme Amanda and I used to follow avidly was the West Wing. Probably the most famous story-telling technique used in this show was the “walk and talk”.
It seemed a lot of the real dialogue and decision making didn’t happen so much in quiet rooms, but in the in-between moments. Characters were on their way to do something, have a meeting, sit down in their office, do a briefing, whatever it might be. Yet an awful lot of the stuff that mattered was getting done as they walked and talked along the way.
When Jesus said things like “remain in me” and “rest in me”; and talked about the Holy Spirit (parakletos – literally “called alongside to help”) being with us to guide us, direct us, and help us; I think this is the kind of thing he had in mind.
Yes, we need to take time out, and set time aside to be alone with God to learn from him and be strengthened by him. It doesn’t end there, though.
God wants us to walk and talk: To experience fellowship and conversation with him as we go about our daily lives. It’s then that he’s able to use us, direct us, and provide the strength we need.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”John 15:5
Preached yesterday at church on “Just one step – finding God’s way in the world today”, asking the question “If God has a plan and a purpose for me, then how do I find it and what do I do today?”
You can get it from our website, but here’s the summary:
God doesn’t ask us to take leap impossible distances, just to take one step at a time. We discover God’s path as we take one step of obedience out of our comfort zone that requires sacrifice.
And how do we find that one step? By taking that one step closer to God and learning to walk and talk with him.
Want to find God’s ways? Here are a few questions to ponder:
When was the last time I took time to have a conversation with God?
Do I have a routine of seeking God daily?
Is there one step has God asked me to take that I haven’t yet taken?
What should I do to take a step out my comfort zone today?
No, I’m not talking about gold crosses, smells, bells, or icons of saints. I’m taking about the idolatry that is “Any time we take a GOOD thing and make it a GOD thing that’s a BAD thing”.
I was listening to a good message this morning by Mark Driscoll on Idolatry. He was speaking to pastors and church leaders but starts with some great foundation which applies to anyone who wants to follow God. You can get it here
It confirms my growing belief that the problem we face is not so much the sin and idolatry in the world, but the sin and idolatry in the church at large…. And the problem we face in our church is often not the sin and idolatry in the church people, but the sin and idolatry in ME. Can I get an Amen/Ouch to that?
For any leaders/aspiring leaders in the church, here’s a quick summary of some specific idols and related heart-questions he covers:
Attendance: Does your joy change when attendance is up or down?
Gift: Do you feel God needs you and uses you because you’re so skilled, thinking “God you’re so smart that you picked me and you use me because I’m a good tool in your hand”
Truth: Do you think you’re more righteous than a simple Christian who doesn’t know or understand much. Reading books and overlooking humility.
Fruit: Do you point to your success as evidence of God’s approval of you
Tradition: What traditions are you upholding that are thwarting the forward progress of the gospel?
Method: Do you worship your method as your mediator?
Office: Are you motivated primarily by God’s glory or your title?
Success: Is winning what motivates you at the deepest level?
Ministry: Do you use the pressure of ministry to make you walk with God, or do you walk with God because you love him.
Innovation: Does it matter to you that your ministry be considered unique?
Leader:Who do you want to be like/your church to be like?
Throughout June our church was participating in an international initiative called OnePrayer. I think about 2000 churches were participating or something, but basically any participating church could upload a video sermon on the theme “God is…” and we then showed different ones from different churches in the 4 weeks.
The ones we used were “God is for you”, “God is able”, “God is love”, and “God is waiting”. Here’s the “God is love” message from lifechurch.tv. We had lots of great feedback about this one.
This year has been one of pressure. If you haven’t faced any yet then consider yourself blessed. Most people I know have been facing some serious challenges.
As a church, even last year as we were gathering and praying as elders, we felt calling us to enlarge and expand with an opposite spirit to the world. That this would be one of the greatest times for us as church, but that it would have nothing to do with our abilities and strengths, but all down to God’s power at work in us.
Well, that’s the power we need right now. There is a battle, but we know Jesus has won the victory. Check out this promo for the series we’re launching this Sunday. It’s going to be powerful – check it out in services or get the download from our website at http://www.everynation.co.uk
If there’s one couple who know about battling to build something in simple obedience to God’s instruction – against all the odds – it’s Wolfi and Ali, senior pastors of our church. Expect some great truths and great encouragement.
Started re-reading “Whatever happened to worship” by A.W. Tozer this morning. So many good things stood out. Here’s one of them…
If we are led by the Spirit of God and if we show forth the love of God this world needs, we become the ‘winsome saints’
The strange and wonderful thing about it is that truly winsome and loving saints do not even know about their attractiveness. The great saints of past years did not know they were great saints. If someone had told them, they would not have believed it, but those around them knew that Jesus was living his life in them.
We can make this whole ‘being a witness’ thing pretty complicated, but essentially it really is about Jesus living his life in us, and us being led by his Spirit.
Our goal is therefore not to ‘live a life which is attractive to people’. Our goal is to be led by him. The by-product of that is a life which is attractive – whether we realize it or not.
Some of our church staff team went to a seminar on “Pastoring and Innovation” last week which was run by Bobby Gruenewald from Lifechurch.tv. He shared several good and helpful thoughts on how churches can innovate and become better at what they’re called to do.
One great thought was to embrace a culture of failure. If we’re going to achieve anything great then failure along the way is inevitable. We need to give people room to fail, as in many cases failure is the first step towards success.
“The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.”
The most important thing is really not whether we fail or not. It’s how we respond when we do fail.
Our tendency is often to let our failures define us. Our enemy would love nothing better to keep us in that moment and mindset for the rest of our lives. However, failure doesn’t have to be fatal. We serve a God who is never taken by surprise, is always faithful and never fails.
The question is simply this: Will we learn from failure, use it as an opportunity to reinforce our dependency on God, and find ways to grow because of it?
The Bible puts it like this:
“for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again….” – Prov 24:16
